164 Transactions. — Botany. 



of from 12 to 50, hopping among the short grass, and apparently 

 feeding on the seeds of Erigeron and Gnaphalium. So tame was 

 it, and so unused to man's presence, that I caught two by simply 

 walking quietly up and suddenly putting my hat over them 

 while they were walking on the grass. Several more were 

 caught by the sailors of the Stella in a similar way. 



7. Long-tailed Cuckoo (Eudynamis taitensis). Mr. Bell showed 

 me the tail of a specimen of this species. According to him, it 

 is a yearly visitant, but is never very plentiful. 



8. Shining Cuckoo (Ghrysococcyx lucidus). Also stated by 

 Mr. Bell to be an occasional visitor. I did not see it. 



9. Pigeon (Carpophaga sp. ?). Mr. Bell informed us that a 

 large fruit-pigeon, which he thought was the same as the New 

 Zealand species, was formerly not uncommon, but had been 

 killed off by the cats. ' 



10. Pukeko {Porphyria melanotics). A single specimen was 

 noticed in the lagoon in Denham Bay. 



11. Grey Duck (Anas super ciliosa). Said by Mr. Bell to exist 

 in the crater lakes, but to have been very scarce since the erup- 

 tion of 1872. I did not see it ; but Mr. Bell is coincident as to 

 its identity with the New Zealand species. 



12. Grey Noddy (Anons cinerens). I believe that I am correct 

 in referring a pretty little tern, very plentiful all through the 

 group, to this species. I obtained several specimens, which 

 agree very well with the description in Gould's " Handbook." 



13. Albatross (Diomedea exulans). A few individuals were 

 noticed during the voyage to and from the islands. According 

 to Mr. Bell, it breeds on the Chanter Islands, some small rocks 

 off the north-east coast of Sunday Island. 



14. Mollymauk (Diomedea melanophrys). Plentiful. Breeds 

 on Curtis Island. 



15. Sooty Albatross (Diomedea fuliginosa). Noticed at sea 

 between Sunday and Macaulay Islands. 



16. Small Shearwater (PuJJmus assimilis). Abundant on 

 Meyer Island, where it was breeding in great numbers at the 

 time of our visit. 



17. Mutton Bird (Puffinus sp.). A species of this genus, 

 clearly different from any of the New Zealand forms, breeds on 

 Sunday Island in September and October, laying its eggs on tbe 

 bare ground among the trees on the bill-sides. The young 

 birds, when cured, form no inconsiderable portion of the food of 

 the residents, and are by no means bad eating. The old birds 

 had only just commenced to arrive at the time of our visit, but 

 during the middle of the season they are present in enormous 

 numbers. Large portions of the island are then entirely covered 



