220 Transactions. — Zoology. 



in camp by entering the tents and pulling or tossing over all 

 movable objects, unless all is left secure. 



Ocydromjcs fuscus (Black Weka). 



This darker species or variety is not so plentiful as the 

 preceding one. It inhabits the slopes of the lower bush-clad 

 mountains bounding the lake on the south. It is also a more 

 timid form. But there is no appreciable difference in their call, 

 excepting that this species is slightly the shriller of the two. 



Ortygometra tahuensis (Swamp-crake). 



The swamp-crake is uncommon about the lake. It fre- 

 quents the shallow lagoons, concealing itself in patches of 

 Carex growing around them. 



Porphyrio melanotus (Swamp-hen). 



Common in the more open places. They appear to obtain 

 good food, as all I observed were exceptionally fine birds, in 

 perfect plumage. 



Hiviantojnis leucocej^hala (White-headed Stilt). 



H. novcB-zealandia (Black Stilt). 



Both species frequent the shores of the lake and the nar- 

 row sandy fiats on the Ahuna and Crooked Elvers, the former 

 being the most numerous. It is interesting to stand among 

 the thick vegetation, or behind some tree, and watch them 

 stalking gracefully along the shallow shores in search of food, 

 suddenly taking flight and flying some distance, to recommence 

 the search in fresh places. 



Strcpsilas interpres (Turnstone). 



Occurs among the rough beds of boulders on the Ahuna 

 Eiver, but never at any time numerous. 



Hcematopus longirostris (Pied Oyster-catcher), 



H. unicolor (Black Oyster-catcher). 



I observed three specimens only of the first-named species 

 at the lake, but I occasionally heard them flying over the dis- 

 trict seawards at a great height. The black species inhabits 

 the sands near the mouth of the Ahuna Eiver, but is never 

 very plentiful. 



Ardea alba (White Heron). 



This magnificent bird — the white crane of the Europeans, 

 the kotuku of the Maoris — still lingers among the secluded 

 lagoons on the bush-flats in the vicinity of Lake Brunner. 

 They are beautiful objects when seen sitting leisurely on the 

 edge of the water. When alarmed they rise, flapping some- 

 what clumsily, ascending spirally in the air until a consider- 

 able height is reached ; then, taking some more direct course, 

 the legs are drawn up close to the tail, and they sail away 



