126 Transactions. — Zoology. 



Motutaiko, in Taupo Lake, on a pohutukawa tree overhanging 

 the water, and at an elevation of 12ft. from the surface, a pair 

 of these Ducks, for several successive seasons, re-formed their 

 rude nest and brought forth their young. 



Hymenolsemus malacorhynchus, Gray. (Blue Duck.) 



A specimen of this Duck from Dusky Sound which passed 

 through my hands differed from ordinary examples in having 

 the whole of the plumage of a silky texture, and the entire 

 breast in front and on the sides thickly studded with dark 

 chestnut-brown spots, becoming almost confluent in places. 



Aptenodytes longirostris, Scop. (King Penguin.) 



The examination of a series of eight eggs gave me the 

 following result : They exhibit much variety in size and 

 shape ; the typical form is pear-shaped, but sometimes they 

 are elongate, inclining to an elliptical form, with an at- 

 tenuated smaller end. The largest of the former in this 

 series measures 4-lin. by 3in. ; and the smallest of the latter 

 measures 4 - lin. by 2-7in. 



Apteryx haasti, Potts. (Haast's Kiwi.) 



Two eggs of this rare form were collected by Mr. Charles 

 Robinson on the Heaphy Eanges, on the west coast of the 

 South Island. The larger of these, measuring 5-125in. by 

 3 - 125in., was taken, in a perfectly fresh state, on the 20th De- 

 cember, with the female bird, under a grass tussock. The male 

 bird was found by the dog, also under a grass tussock, some 

 distance away. The other egg, which is about one-eighth of 

 an inch shorter, was taken (with a single bird in the nest) on 

 the 26th January. It unfortunately got cracked through the 

 struggles of the captive bird, and was found to contain a well- 

 advanced embryo. Both eggs when taken were much soiled 

 by contact with the birds' feet, especially the one that had 

 been long incubated ; but, on being washed, they disclosed a 

 shell of a pale greenish- white. In form they are broadly 

 ovoido- elliptical, the smaller one being almost a perfect 

 ellipsis. These unique specimens are now in the Rothschild 

 Museum, at Tring. 



