There is a bare space at the base of the upper mandible, including the eye; the skin of the throat is bare and dilated, like that of the Cormorants. The plumage of the head, neck, and body, is close, blended, and of a silky texture; the feathers oblong, rounded, with the filament disunited toward the end. On each side of the neck, from near the eye to half its length, is a series of elongated narrow loose feathers, a few of which are also dispersed over the back of the neck, and which in the breeding season are an inch and a quarter in length. The scapulars, which are very numerous, are elongated, lanceolate, tapering to a point, compact, stiffish, elastic, highly glossed, gradually increasing in size backwards, the outer web of the largest, crimped. Wings of moderate length and breadth; primaries strong, firm, considerably curved, the third longest, the second almost as long, the first a little shorter than the fourth; the second, third, and fourth cut out on the outer web. Secondaries a little decurved, broad, rounded and acuminate; the inner elongated, straightish, acuminate, and resembling the posterior scapulars. Tail very long, narrow, of twelve straight feathers having strong shafts, and increasing in breadth from the base to the end, which is rounded and very broad, the two middle feathers have their outer webs curiously marked with transverse alternate ridges and depressions. Upper mandible dusky olive, the edges yellow; lower mandible bright yellow, the edges and tips greenish; bare space about the eye bluish-green; gular sac bright orange. Iris bright carmine. Tarsi and toes anteriorly dusky olive, the hind parts and webs yellow; claws brownish-black. The general colour of the head, neck, and body, is glossy blackish-green; of the scapulars, wings, and tail, glossy bluish-black. The long loose feathers on the neck are purplish-white or pale lilac. The lower part of the neck behind is marked with very numerous minute oblong spots of white; which form two broad bands extending backwards, and gradually becoming more elongated, there being one along the centre of each feather including the scapulars. The smaller wing-coverts are similarly marked with broader white spots disposed in regular rows; the four last of which have merely a central line towards the tip, while the inner has a broad band extending from near the base over the outer half of the inner web, and towards the end including a portion of the outer web; the first row of small coverts, and the secondary coverts are white excepting the portion of the inner web. The five inner elongated secondaries are marked with a narrow white band, occupying the inner half of the outer web, from about an inch from their base to the extremity, near which it includes a part of the inner web. The tail-feathers tipped with a band of brownish-red, fading into white.