BLACK CORMOEANT. 
Carho carho novmJiollandiw Mathews, Kov. ZooL, Vol. XVIII., p. 240, 1912. 
Carbo carho westralis Mathews, Austral Av. Rec., Vol. I., p. 33, 1912 ; Swan River, 
West Austrahai 
PJialacrocorax carho novmJiollandim Mathews, List Birds Austr., p. 96, 1913. 
Distribution. Australia ; Tasmania. 
Adult male {in winter). Upper-back, scapulars, and wings greyish-brown with black 
margins to the feathers ; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts uniform blue- 
black ; quiUs and tail-feathers dull black with very glossy shafts ; head and neck 
aU round and the entire under-surface glossy black with green reflections in 
certain hghts ; chin and sides of the face, including the eye, white ; a few white 
feathers on the lower flanks. Bill yeUow, culmen purplish, naked skin gamboge- 
yeUow ; iris emerald-green ; feet black. Total length 780 mm. ; culmen 67, 
wing 357, tail 155, tarsus 60. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male but smaller. In summer the adults have a 
white patch on the flanks and white lanceolate feathers on the neck. 
Immature. Distinguished by its browner appearance, especially on the head, neck, and 
under-parts, the absence of the white flank plumes, and in being whitish in 
the middle of the belly. 
Nest. Composed of twigs, etc., saucer-shaped, about three inches deep and 16 to 18 
inches wide, placed (often in colonies) in low bushes or rocky ground. 
Eggs. Four (sometimes three) ; ground-colour greenish and dull, covered with a white 
coating of hme. Axis 59-60 mm. ; diameter 35-6. 
Breeding-season. August to November (Campbell). 
This weU-known bird was first described in the General History of Birds, 
Vol. X., p. 431, 1824, by Latham as: “New HoUand Shag. Length twenty 
inches. Bill two inches and a half long, and pale ; round the eye bare and 
pale yellow ; plumage on the upper-part in general black ; the feathers on 
the wing-coverts have pale edges, and those of the neck fringed with rufous ; 
under-parts paler and mottled ; tail six inches long, composed of twelve 
feathers, cuneiform ; legs black. . Inhabits New Holland. In some things 
this corresponds with the African species, but is probably distinct.” 
To this description two years later Stephens gave the Latin pame 
PJialacrocorax novGehollandim. 
Twelve years later Gould named the Australian bird PJialacrocorax 
carhoides. In the HandhooJc he accepted Stephens’ name which displaces 
his own given later. His remarks : “ Its habits, manners and mode of life 
are so precisely similar to those of the Common Cormorant of Europe, that 
a description of them would be superfluous : its chief food as a matter of 
course consists of fish,” seem to have prejudiced every observer so that 
nothing much is known regarding the life-history of this bird. 
The only note I have received is from Mr. J. W. Mellor, who states : 
This is not so plentiful as the other species, but can by no means be called 
rare, especially in the early days, although since the vigorous war waged 
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