74 XRW ZEALAND 151 RDS. 



buildings connected with a run occupied by nie arc situated. The 

 water of this lake is generally very warm, and even in severe seasons 

 has never been frozen over. To this fact 1 attriljutc the cii'cumstancc 

 that some of these birds are to be found upon it throughout the year. 

 There are several apparently permanent nests on the ])ordcrs of the 

 lake, which have been occupied by pairs of birds for many years in 

 succession, from which I am led to infer that, as in the case of some 

 of the Anatida;, these birds pair for life. These nests are built 

 amongst the twiggy branches of trees which have fallen from the 

 banks of the lake, and now lie half floating in its waters, and are 

 formed of irregularly-laid masses of various species of pond-weeds, 

 chiefly Potamogeton, found growing in the lake, and which the birds 

 obtain by diving. They are but little raised above the surface of the 

 water ; for, in consequence of the position and structure of its feet, 

 and the general form of its body, the Grebe is unable to raise itself 

 upon the former unless the body be in great measure supported by 

 water. 



" The eggs are usually three in number, and are somewhat pecu- 

 liar in form, having an apparent thickening in the middle and taper- 

 ing towards both ends. AVhen first laid they are of a chalky and 

 slightly greenish hue, but soon become completely discoloured. 

 Whether this discoloration is solely due to contact with the materials 

 of the nest, or whether the birds themselves, under the infiueuce of 

 some instinctive habit, contribute towards it, I am not prepared to 

 say." — TiiAVKRs. 



" The specimen on which I founded my original description of 

 Podiceps hectori was in an imperfect condition, and the supposed 

 absence of the Avhite secondaries proved afterwards to be merely acci- 

 dental ; but, as I have already pointed out in a paper read before the 

 Wellington Philosophical Society, there appears to be a distinct race 

 inhabiting some of the South Island lakes, and distinguished by the 

 dark colour of the underparts. Dr. Hector considers this a good 

 species, and states that he found it on the Wakatipu Lake, accom- 

 panied by young, and exhibiting the double crest and red ruff which 

 characterize the fully adult bird ; while in brackish lakes h\ the 

 coast, where old and young birds, as well as eggs, were obtained, none 

 but white-breasted ones were ever shot. 



" On a comparison of the two forms I find that the Wakatipu bird 

 (of which there are several examples) is rather larger than ordinary 

 specimens of P. cristatiis, has the upper parts perfectly black, and the 

 fore neck and un(lcr[)arts groyish-brown, tinged with rufous ; the 

 lores, moreover, arc black, the rufous-white commencing at the an^le 



