120 Mr. W. L. Buller on the 



"its flight is a curious fluttering motion^ performed so close 

 to the surface that it rarely rises high enough to top the 

 waves, but upon being met by them makes progress by a direct 

 course through instead of over them;" and Latham states 

 that it congregates in flocks " fluttering upon the surface of 

 the water or sitting upon it/^ 



PUFFINUS BREVICAUDUS. 



My specimen was picked up on the sea-beach between 

 Waikanae and Rangitikei, where this bird is often cast ashore. 

 The natives on that coast identified it as the same that breeds 

 in the Kaimanawa and Taupo-patca ranges. I can hardly 

 think they would confound it with Proceltaria parkinsoni, 

 which is a very difierent bird. 



PUFFINUS GAVIUS. 



In giving P. opisthomelas (Coues) as a synonym of this 

 species, I had no wish to ignore Captain Hutton; but it is 

 manifestly impossible in a list of synonyms to do more than 

 give the leading reference in each case. Captain Hutton 

 lias apparently forgotten that we went into the question to- 

 gether before I left the colony, and came to the conclusion 

 that P. opisthomelas and P. gavius were the same. Dr. Coues 

 states that the former species is abundant on the south Pa- 

 cific coast of North America. Assuming, therefore, their 

 identity, I was justified in assigning our bird a " wide oceanic 

 range.^' To Dr. Finsch belongs the credit of having since 

 put us right on this point. This author says (J. f. O. 1872, 

 p. 256), "Mutton's account of this species, which, since 

 Forster's time has not been examined, appears to be perfectly 

 correct ; but he is certainly mistaken when he asserts most 

 positively that P. opisthomelas (Coues) is the same species. 

 This could only be determined by actually comparing the ty- 

 pical specimens ; and this would clearly show a difierence be- 

 tween the two species. Hutton's description is far too super- 

 ficial to allow of any thing approaching to a coiTcct opinion.^' 



As Captain Hutton is so very sensitive about not being 

 acknowledged, it is a little surprising that when he wrote to 

 ' The Ibis,' some time ago, stating that he " had found out 



