234 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



specimens. Indeed, the mistake may be ascribed simply to a slip 

 of the pen, as Mr Cook is too good an ornithologist to have 

 actually mistaken the two species. H. leucocephahis being UacTc 

 and ivhite; and, being "bold and noisy," must have afforded a 

 narrow inspection. The native name applied by Mr Cook is 

 " Poaka ; " but Mr Buller assigns the native name " Kaki " to 

 H. Nov-Zaelandiae, and " Tutumati " to H. kucocejjhalus, without 

 mention of the name " Poaka " at all. 



Mr Buller gives only these two species of New Zealand Stilts ; 

 but Mr Potts, in the Transactions of the N. Z. Institute (as Mr J. 

 E. Harting informs me), has described a third species, under the 

 name of H. varius, nov. sp., in which the fore-neck and part of the 

 breast and abdomen are white. There is, however, some doubt 

 existing amongst naturalists, wliether this may not turn out to be 

 only a specimen, in one of the many stages of plumage which U. 

 Nov-Zaelandiae undergoes. This question can only be set at rest 

 by an examination of a larger series of specimens than is at present 

 available. 



The measurements of four of the above eggs vary from lf§ 

 inches to lf|- inches in length, and from 1^ inches to \\^ inches 

 in breadth. 



Anarhynclius frojitalis (Quoy. and Gaim.) — Crook-billed Plover. 



Three eggs sent. "Nest on sand, amongst shingle, in Otaio 

 river-bed ; very hard to find, though birds were bold. Eggs 

 almost covered with lichens, chopped small, and placed ])oint doun. 

 Nest with three eggs, on October 20th, 1872." 



As these eggs are desiderata in most English or European col- 

 lections, and as comparatively little is known of the nesting habits 

 of this extremely interesting species, I look upon the above notes 

 and specimens as very valuable, especially that portion which 

 relates to the position of the eggs in the nest, as it exhibits a 

 departure from the habit of such of the closely allied species as 

 naturalists are acquainted with. The words " point down " being 

 underlined in Mr Cook's MS., and he being a careful ojbserver, I 

 attach more importance to the note than if the underlining had 

 been omitted. Mr Cook is well aware of the position in the nests 

 of the eggs of most of the Scolopacidae, and would not, I feel 

 certain, have underlined these words liad he not intended that 

 they should be read literally. 



