Order PELECANIFORMES. 
No 
133 . 
Family PHALACROCORADIDJE. 
MICROCARBO BREVIROSTRIS. 
WHITE-THROATED SHAG. 
(Plate 101.) 
Phalacrocorax brevirostris Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1837. Nov. 21st, p. 26. New 
Zealand. 
Phalacrocorax brevirostris Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lon. 1837. Nov. 21st, p. 26 ; Buller, Birds 
New Zeal., p. 330, pi. 30, April, 1873 ; id. ib. } 2nd edn., Vol. II., p. 168, 1888 ; 
Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., Vol. NXVI., p. 400, Jan. 13th, 1899. Buller Suppl., 
Vol. II., p. 42, 1906. Oliver, New Zeal. Birds, p. 185, Aug., 1930. Ealla, Rec. Auck. Inst. 
Mus., Vol. I., No. 3, p. 141, Sept. 23rd, 1932. 
Carbo flavagula Peale, U.S. Explor. Exped., Vol. VIII., p. 270, Oct., 1848. Bay of Island, North 
Island. 
Pelecanus carboides Ellman, Zool., 1861, p. 7472, New Zealand. 
Mierocarbo melanoleucus. A New r Zealand skin does not seem to differ appreciably from skins 
from Australia. It measures, wing 235 mm.; culmen 32, tail 146, tarsus 42, longest toe and 
claw 68. 
Distribution. New Zealand. 
Adult. Head, neck, back, rump and the under-surface from the lower throat to the vent glossy- 
black ; wing and tail-feathers black, with black shafts ; wing-coverts and some of the 
scapulars black, greyish in certain lights, with darker black margins ; under aspect of the 
wing black like the under-surface of the body ; lores and a line over the eye, sides of the face 
and sides of the neck, chin to the lower throat, white ; forehead at the base of the culmen 
white. Wing 223 mm., culmen 29 to 31, tail 150, tarsus 40, longest toe and claw 61. 
Wing of others 228-242 (male) ; 238-233-237 (male) 232. Eew are sexed, the small ones 
may be females. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male (but smaller ?). 
Nest. Placed in trees, in colonies, overhanging water ; composed of sticks and lined with grass 
and leaves. Measurements about a foot across. Sometimes found high up in the mountains. 
Eggs. Clutch three or four, elliptic, milky-white, with an outer covering of lime or chalk. They 
measure 48 to 55 mm. by 29 to 32. 
Breeding-season. July in the South, to December in the North Island. 
Op ten adults in the Tring Museum seven are like the bird described. Two 
of these have the white chin and upper throat; three have the white extending 
further down the neck, and two have it extending to the lower throat or upper 
breast. 
Three other adults are similar, except that from the lower throat to the 
vent black and white feathers are intermixed in about equal proportions ; 
one of them has the centre of the belly all white ; in all, the sides of the body are 
black. 
In three immature skins, that is in the brown stage, slightly glossed, two 
are unicoloured, one has a white chin and upper throat. 
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