- BuLLER. — On the Ornithology of Neiv Zealand. 33 



The catch of each individual, young and old, may be taken at 

 the fair average of fifteen hundred birds, or a total of seventy- 

 five thousand for the whole of the families. The average price 

 is about 3d. a bird, so that the season's operations, when the 

 birds are all sold, represents a total of £937 10s. Two River- 

 ton girls are said to have made a record catch, taking four 

 thousand two hundred birds between them." 



Anas superciliosa, Gmelin. (Grey Duck.) 



Mr. William Marriner informs me that on the Wairoa 

 Eiver, at the commencement of the shooting season, the Grey 

 Duck is very fat and of excellent flavour, from feeding on the 

 spawm of eels — tiny little crawling things that infest the mud- 

 banks of the river in countless millions. On opening the birds 

 at this season he has found their crops distended with this 

 food alone, and there is every evidence that it is very nutri- 

 tious. 



The Grey Duck commences breeding on the Papaitonga 

 Lake about the end of September, and the breeding season 

 lasts till after Christmas. My son believes that this species 

 brings out two broods in the season : he counted one clutch on 

 the lake of eleven young ones. 



Anas chlorotis, Gray. (Brown Duck.) 



On the occasion of a recent visit to the Manawatu Gorge, 

 I saw, in broad sunshine, a pair of these Ducks disporting 

 themselves in a cool pool overhung with tree-ferns and other 

 vegetation. But as a rule they remain in retirement during 

 the day and come out at dusk. A Rangitikei correspondent 

 informs me that this Teal has almost disappeared from that 

 district. He adds, "As soon as they come out from their 

 haunts, under the raupo in the swamps, they get shot. They 

 are too simple for the changed times, and are fast succumbing 

 to the inevitable." The last pair I obtained were shot by my 

 son at Ohau. These were forwarded in spirits to Professor 

 Newton, and enabled him to make an interesting discovery as 

 to the affinities of this form with Nesonetta aticklandica, an 

 account of which has already been communicated to the 

 Society. 



Casarca variegata, Gmelm. (The Paradise Duck.) 



Professor MacGillivray said that Casarca may be termed 

 with equal propriety a Duck or a Goose, and he demonstrated 

 this by the anatomy of the bird. I may mention another 

 point of similarity : the male of the above species hisses, when 

 provoked, after the manner of the domestic gander. 



Mr. Morgan Carkeek, who sent me some fine young 

 Paradise Ducks from the Marlborough District in January, 

 3 



