84 Transactions. — Zoology. 



of Shags, breeding at the foot of a small cliff on Otago Penin- 

 sula, as referring to this species. But this can hardly be the 

 case, because he states that "their feet appeared from a 

 distance of a few yards to be reddish or brownish," whereas 

 P. carunculatus has flesh- white feet at all ages. 



o^ 



Plialacrocorax punctatus, Sparrm. (The Spotted Shag.) 



To the already long list of New Zealand albinisms I 

 have now to add the above species, of which I exhibit a pure 

 albino obtained, as I am informed, at Kaikoura. Being with- 

 out crests, it is evidently a bird of the first year ; but it is in 

 excellent plumage, except that the tips of the tail-feathers are 

 abraded by wear. 



Phalacrocorax brevirostris, Gould. (The White-throated 

 Shag.) 



I have received from Otago a very curious variety of this 

 species. The plumage of the upper surface is normal ; patch 

 on throat much restricted in extent and creamy-white ; 

 middle of foreneck, breast, and under-parts to the vent 

 greyish- white and brown intermixed, this effect being pro- 

 duced by each feather having a brown centre and greyish- 

 white filaments. 



Diomedea fuliginosa, Gmehn. (The Sooty Albatros.) 



This species is more wary in its breeding habits than any 

 other species of Albatros. It breeds both in the Auckland 

 and Campbell Islands. But it usually selects as a nesting- 

 place a ledge of rock high up on the face of the cliff', and quite 

 inaccessible, either from above or below. The nestling in 

 down which I exhibited at a former meeting of the Society 

 was brought by the " Hinemoa " from the Auckland Islands ; 

 but the eggs of this species have not yet been obtained, 

 although strenuous efforts have been made from time to time 

 by the officers of the " Hinemoa " to reach the nests. Apart, 

 therefore, from its modifications of structure, the entire dif- 

 ference in its habits of nidification would seem quite to 

 justify the placing of this Albatros in a genus by itself. 



iEstrelata affinis, Buller. (The Mottled Petrel.) 



Mr. Cheeseman showed me, at the Auckland Museum, a 

 fine specimen of this Petrel which he had obtained from 

 Taupo. And Mr. Percy Seymour, writing from Preservation 

 inlet, after giving the description of a Petrel which fits in 

 exactly with that of my AS strelata affinis, says : " I have found 

 a hill where these birds breed. I found two specimens dead 

 and mutilated ; and my dogs caught a third, but pulled most 



