120 Transactions. — Zoology. 



Porphyrio melanonotus, Temm. (Swamp-hen.) 



I have to exhibit this evening a curious example of the 

 Swamp-hen or Pukeko, lately received by me from Nelson. 

 All the primaries in each wing are crossed near the tip with a 

 broad band of yellowish-white ; the secondaries are similarly 

 marked, but not so sharply, and so are most of the wing- 

 coverts, imparting a mottled appearance to the upper surface. 

 The tail-feathers are broadly tipped with yellowish-white, and 

 there are a few scattered white feathers on the shoulders and 

 on the underparts. The rest of the plumage is normal. 



I take this opportunity of mentioning a Swamp-hen from 

 the Chatham Islands described as new by Dr. Bowdler 

 Sharpe under the name of Porphyrio chathamensis (Cat. Birds 

 Brit. Mus., xxiii., p. 202). He gives the following diagnosis of 

 the species : " Simiiis P. bello, sed gutture toto nigro, pileo 

 concolore ; praepectore saturate cyaneo : tibiis nigris, abdo- 

 mine imo concoloribus " ; and he adds, " The tints are difficult 

 to describe, but the differences are well seen on comparison 

 with P. bellus." 



It seemed to me highly improbable that there should be 

 a differentiated species of this widely - spread form at the 

 Chathams, and, although holding Dr. Sharpe's judgment in 

 great respect, I went to the British Museum to examine the 

 type for myself. A single glance satisfied me that the sup- 

 posed new species was nothing but oar ordinary Swamp-hen 

 in an unusual, but by no means uncommon, phase of plumage. 

 The dark head and throat, the highly-coloured breast, and 

 dark underparts are merely individual differences of colour 

 and have no specific value. I would undertake to pick out 

 several birds exactly similar to Dr. Sharpe's at the close of a 

 day's shooting in any locality where Pukekos are numerous. 



The Swamp -hen of New Zealand is abundant at the 

 Chatham Islands, and the existence there of another species 

 of so diffuse a form seemed on the face of it most unlikely. 



Diomedea regia, Buller. (Koyal Albatros.) 



In the Hunterian Museum at Glasgow I saw an undoubted 

 example of this species labelled as Diomedea exulans. The 

 Curator told me the specimen had been in the Museum many 

 years, and that it was recorded as having come from the Cape 

 of Good Hope. 



The following passage in Cook's "Second Voyage" pro- 

 bably refers to this species, and, if so, it is without doubt the 

 earliest record of the bird: "In the afternoon of the 21st 

 [January, 1773] being in the latitude of 64° 24' South, longi- 

 tude 42° 19' East, we saw a white Albatros with black-tipped 

 wings." 



