T. W. Kirk. — On some Ncio Zealand Birds. 231 



I have been informed by a settler in the Manawatu district 

 that the season before last a pair of them nested in the bush 

 at the back of his property, and successfully reared their brood. 

 He is positive as to the species. This would seem to show 

 that the}' are not quite so scarce in the North Island as is 

 usually supposed, even if they are not to be deemed in- 

 digenous. 



2. Carpophaga nov2e-zealandi^ (Wood-pigeon, Kuku, Kereru). 



I have yetanotherinstanceof abnormal colouring of this mag- 

 nificent bird to record. The specimen was shot at Kaikoura in 

 June, 1887, and presented to the Colonial Museum by Mr. H. 

 Inglis. The following is a description of it : Head, neck, and 

 breast, normal colour, but of a duller shade. Hind-neck and 

 front portion of scapulars and wing-covers rich brown, profusely 

 interspersed with white (the body of each feather is quite 

 white, but broadly tipped with rich chocolate-brown, w^hich 

 gives the colour to those parts) ; hind portions of scapulars, 

 and wing-covers, white, the feathers in some places tinged and 

 edged with slaty-grey ; shafts of feathers deep-brown, almost 

 black. Wings slaty-grey, much blotched with white, the 

 feathers in most instances edged with coppery-green, shafts 

 normal colour. Eump white, but bluish-grey feathers are 

 profusely mixed. Tail-feathers white, but margined all round 

 with bluish-black, shafts black ; below these feathers are 

 white, but so thickly spotted with brown as to appear of that 

 colour; the two outer shafts are nearly white. Abdomen 

 and lower tail-cover white. Sides and lining of wings pale 

 silvery-grey, in places almost white. Beak and feet normal 

 colour. 



3. LoBivANELLUs LOBATDS (Wattled Plover). 



In a previous volume '■' I recorded the occm-rence of the 

 masked plover (L. ijersoiiatus) in New Zealand. The identi- 

 fication was made from a drawing and description supplied to 

 me, but I have since had an opportunity of examining the speci- 

 men, which Mr. Drew, in whose possession it is, kindly brought 

 to Wellington for my inspection. 



I find that the previous identification was incorrect — that 

 the species is really L. lohata, the wattled plover ; I there- 

 fore hasten to correct the mistake. The two species are very 

 similar, the most striking difference being the amount of black 

 on the neck, which was not sufliciently shown in the sketch. 



This species is called the "alarm-bird" by the settlers in 

 some parts of New South Wales, on account of its habit, when 

 disturbed, of rising in the air, flying about excitedly, and 



* " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," vol. xx., p. 33. 



