156 
-across the back 3 inches in extent hy nearly 2 in width. The crown, sides of the head, and hind neck are 
beautifully glossed with purplish green, and less so on the back, rump, and upper tail-coverts. 
There is a specimen in the British Museum (brought by the Antarctic Expedition from New Zealand) 
marked “ young ” ; and the presence of numerous scattered brown feathers on the abdomen and sides of the 
body attest the fact. In this bird the white of the fore neck, instead of running up in a narrow strip to the 
chin, spreads outwards immediately under the cheeks, and covers the sides of the neck. There is no white 
alar bar, nor is there any appearance of the white dorsal patch. 
Note. A Shag in the Otago Museum from Macquarie Island (marked (J), collected by Dr. Scott in December 
1880, differs from ordinary examples of P. carunculatus in these respects : — It is a smaller bird j the gloss 
on the head, hind neck, back, and rump is metallic blue instead of green ; on the wings it ehanges to dull 
green ; there is an entire absence of the white dorsal patch ; the alar bar or strip is much less conspicuous, 
being scarcely more than half an inch wide in any part, and only about 3'5 in longitudinal extent ; instead 
of the narrow frontal line of papillae there are two warty patches, more deserving the designation of caruncles 
(each measuring an inch in extent with a maximum breadth of '4 of an inch) , which meet at the base of 
the bill and cover the anterior part of the forehead. This bird has likewise a small or scant vertical crest, 
composed of narrow linear feathers of the same colour as the surrounding plumage, and an inch and a half 
long. The caruncles appear to have been originally orange, and the bare membrane on the face bluish. It 
appears to come very near to P. verrucosus, but is separated by the white transalar bar. 
To the same species doubtless belongs a Shag recently received at the Otago Museum, of which Prof. 
Parker has kindly sent me the following note ; — “ A Phalacrocorax, shot at Otago heads, which does not 
correspond with any of the species in your ‘ Manual.' The following are its chief characters : — Above blue- 
black ; below, oblong patch (4 inches by 2 inches) on upper side of wing, and squarish patch (2^ inches by 
2 inches) in middle of back between bases of wings, white ; no white feathers over eye ■, large orange wattle 
on each side of base of lower mandible, the two separated by a narrow white streak ; small orange patch on 
each side at base of upper mandible ; blue ring round eyes ; legs orange." 
1:^ his ‘Eeport on the 'Birds of the Challenger Expedition’ (Zool. ii. p. 121), Dr. Sclater says: — 
Professor Hutton has lately written an article on PhalaGrocorax carunculatus of New Zealand 
(commonly so called), in which, after a review of the literature of this subject, he points out the 
•differences between the birds of New Zealand and the Falklands, and proposes to call the former 
'cirrhatus (Gm.), and the latter carunculatus (Gm.). To follow this course would, in my opinion, 
only add further to the confusion, the names cirrhatus and carunculatus having been long considered 
synonymous. Professor Hutfon is likewise unaware that the next following species of Kerguelen 
Island [P. verrucosus) is distinct *, and unites it to his Phalacrocorax carunculatus!' 
But the question still remains, What is the true Phalacrocorax carunculatus 1 
Latham’s original description {1. c!) is as follows : — “ Sides of the head bare of feathers ; between 
the bill and eye much carunculated and red the rest of the space round the eye ash-colour ; the 
* Phalaceocoeax veeeecosus, Cab. Journ. f. Orn. 1875, p. 450. — Referriug to a specimen brought by Dr. Kidder from 
Kerguelen Islaud, Coues says (Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1875, no. ii. p. 7) : — “ I have no hesitation in identifying this species as 
above {%. e. P. carunculatus), although the single adult specimen collected does not show the white transalar fascia spoken of by 
authors. Schlegel, however, quotes it from the present locality. The caruncles, which are conspicuous features of the adult 
breeding-bird, constitute two prominent yellow masses symmetrically disposed on the naked forehead at each side of the base of 
the upper mandible. The head and neck are lustrous, deep steel-blue, with purplish and violet reflections, contrasting notably 
with the rich dark-green back, the colour of which is uniform, the feathers having no differently coloured edges. The entire 
underparts, from the bill, on a line along each side of the neck, are pure white.” He adds : — “ During the breeding-season the 
bird carries an erectile crest of about a dozen small plumes upon the top of the head.” 
Dr. Sclater writes (J. c. p. 122) : — “ The series of this Shag is quite sufficient to warrant us in adhering to the species as 
distinct. The principal characters are clearly pointed out by Dr. Cabanis in his original description ; and a good figure is given 
of the adult male under the reference given above. Not one of the six specimens, of which two, and apparently a third, are 
adult, shows any traces of the white lino along the upper wing-coverts, or of the white spot in the middle of the back which 
distinguish Phalacrocorax imperialist 
