86 Transactions. — Zoology. 



PufRnus gavia, Forst. (Forster's Shearwater.) 



At the meetmg of the Society held on the 29th October, 

 1890, I exhibited a specimen of this rare species (adult male) 

 received by me from Otago. I have now the pleasure of ex- 

 hibiting another specimen (adult female) recently received 

 from Cape Farewell. 



There are two examples in the Canterbury Museum ; but, 

 so far as I am aware, the species is not represented in any 

 other local collection. 



Garrodia nereis, Gould. (The Grey-backed Storm-petrel.) 



Captain Fairchild brought me a specimen from Cape Fare- 

 well Lighthouse, where it had killed itself by striking against 

 the lantern at night. 



D 



Puffiims griseus, Gmelin. (The Sombre Shearwater.) 



Of this species there is a partial albino (received from the 

 Snares) in the Auckland Museum. The back is almost entirely 

 white, and the grey plumage of the under-surface is largely 

 mixed with white. 



Nesonetta ancklandica, Gray. (The Auckland Island Duck.) 

 I have now to exhibit another rare form, being the nest- 

 ling of the Flightless Duck of the Auckland Islands. The 

 body is covered with thick down, with long central filaments, 

 especially on the upper parts. The general colour is dark 

 olivaceous-brown, fading to pale fulvous-brown on the throat 

 and foreneck, and to dull fawn-colour on the breast and 

 abdomen. There is a purer shade of dark-brown passing 

 through the eyes and melting away behind. The rudimentary 

 wings have an outer fringe of yellowish-brown; the produced 

 filaments on the shoulders and mantle are of the same pale 

 colour. The bill is dark-brown, with the terminal shield 

 and the whole of the under mandible yellowish-brown. Legs 

 and feet olivaceous-brown, the webs being darker ; claws 

 yellowish-brown. 



Hymenolssmus malacorhynchus, Gmelin. (The Blue Duck.) 

 I have now to exhibit a very interesting specimen of the 

 Blue Mountain Duck in the condition of a fledgling — the first 

 that has come into my possession. In "The Birds of New 

 Zealand " I have described the young bird and the nestling 

 of this species ; but this is the intermediate state. The colours 

 are those of the adult, but paler. The long, soft, white down is 

 still present on the throat and lower side of the cheeks, whilst 

 broken or irregular lines of the same proceed from the frontal 

 base and from the sides of the upper mandible, and become 

 scattered beyond the eyes. The dull olive-green down, with 



