BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 201 



are mixed ; shoulders and wing coverts shining greyish-black ; 

 under surface white; under tail coverts sooty-black; bill yellow; 

 legs and feet black. Dimensions in mm.: — Length, 585; bill, 

 29; wing, 228; tail, 152; tarsus, 36. 



Male and Female {non-breeding ■plumage). — Crest almost 

 absent and without white feathers ; feathers forming lateral mane 

 short. 



Young. — Feathers of upper surface margined with brownish 

 to brownish-white ; those of under surface somewhat yellow-browu 

 towards the tips. 



Nest. — Constructed of sticks and lined with leaves; placed in 

 the branches of a low tree in water. Breeds in colonies. 



Eggs. — Clutch three to four; inclined to oval in shape; texture 

 coarse ; surface without gloss ; colour bluish-white, irregularly 

 coated with lime. Dimensions in mm. of a clutch : — (1) 47 x 30, 

 (2) 46 X 30, (3) 47.5 x 31. 



Breeding Season. — August or September to November. 



Geographical Distribution. — Tasmania, Australia, New Zea- 

 land, New Caledonia, and northwards to some of the islands of 

 the Austro-Malayan Archipelago. 



Observations. — The first Tasmanian recorded specimen of 

 this Cormorant was shot in November, 1874, at Brown's River. 

 Since the above bird was recorded the Little Cormorant has 

 spread to many districts, but in no one is it at all plentiful. So 

 far as I am aware, it has not been found breeding on any of the 

 islets in Bass Strait. It may be found about inlets, rivers, and 

 lakes, frequently fishing in lonely solitude. 



FAMILY-SULIDiE (1 species). 



*GANNET 

 (Sula serrator, Gray). 



Male. — Crown of the head and back of neck deep sienna- 

 yellow; primaries, secondaries, and two central pairs of tail 

 feathers brownish-black, with white shafts; rest of the plumage 

 white ; irides olive-white ; bill dark pearl-grey ; naked space round 

 the eyes bluish-grey; bare skin down the centre of the throat 

 blackish ; legs and feet dark brown, with a stripe of greenish- 

 yellow down the centre of the tarsi and toes. Dimensions in 

 mm. : — Length, 905; bill, 90; wing, 470; tail, 248; tarsus, 54. 



Female. — Similar to male. 



Young. — When first hatched are niaked and slaty-black in 

 colour; later they are clothed in white down and have the bill 

 and feet black. Later the plumage becomes brown, dark on the 

 upper surface, light on the lower. Gradually the brown dis- 

 appears and white takes its place. 



