60 Transactions. — Zoology. 



Carpophaga novse-zealandiae, Gmelin. (The New Zealand 

 Pigeon.) 



A partial albino received from Wanganui has the head, 

 neck, breast, and upper surface of wings and back dull yel- 

 lowish-brown, with numerous yellowish-white feathers on the 

 back and rump, and a few widely-scattered ones among the 

 larger wing-coverts ; all the smaller wing-coverts and the in- 

 terscapulary feathers rich vinous-brown, with a perceptible 

 sheen, forming a sort of mantle ; wing-feathers and tail-feathers 

 of the same yellowish-brown colour as the body-plumage^ with 

 paler tips ; bill and feet normal. 



Another specimen (obtained from the woods near Levin) 

 has the plumage entirely white, with only a tinge of cream- 

 colour on the upper surface of wings and on the hind-neck. 



In Mr. Drew's collection at Wanganui there is an abso- 

 lutely pure albino, obtained in that district. 



Numenius uropygialis, Gould. (The Australian Whimbrel.) 

 This species must be added to the New Zealand list. A 

 specimen (now in the Colonial Museum) was shot by Mr. S. 

 Liardet in the Wairau district, and was presented by Mr. 

 "W. T. L. Travers to the Museum. The bird agrees exactly 

 with Gould's description of this species in "The Birds of 

 Australia," but he curiously omits to notice that the sides 

 of the body and undersurface of wings are conspicuously 

 marked with arrow-head bars of blackish-brown, and that 

 the long axillary plumes are transversely barred in their whole 

 length with the same. This specimen measures : Extreme 

 length, 17in. ; wing, 9in. ; tail, 3 - 5in. ; bill, along the ridge (fol- 

 lowing curvature) 2-35in., along the edge of lower mandible 

 2-5in. ; bare tibia, lin. ; tarsus, 2-25in. ; middle toe and claw, 

 l-6in. 



Gallinago aucklandica, Gray. (The Auckland Island Snipe.) 



The length of the bill is evidently a very uncertain charac- 

 ter with this species. A specimen in my collection, brought 

 to me in spirit from the Auckland Islands, has a bill measur- 

 ing 3in. from the angle of the mouth to the tip, and 2 - 6in. 

 along the culmen. 



'•^ 



Lobivanellus lobatus, Yieill. (The Australian Wattled 



Plover.) 



In "The Birds of New Zealand" (vol. ii., p. 13) I have 

 described a straggler of this beautiful species of Plover, obtained 

 by Mr. Drew at Kai-iwi, near Wanganui, in August, 18S6. 

 The specimen is still in his interesting little museum at 

 Wanganui. 



