Vol. XX. 1 INIatiikws, Nature of Neiv Zealand Avifaima. 2I3 



form well distinguished; Imt the former, tliough quite distinct, 

 was until very rccentlyxonfused with the Neozelanic varius.^ The 

 two species cariincitlatits and campbelli are scarcely specifically 

 separable from the vSouth American, Falkland Islands, &c., forms 

 known as atriceps, magdlanicus, &c. The two species of Stido- 

 carbo constitute a peculiar group — one on the mainland, a very 

 common and well-distributed Shag, punctatus ; the other a rare 

 and very beautiful Chatham Island representative, featherstoni. 

 The genus is endemic and well defined. 



Mesocarbo ater is an Austrahan species ranging from Sharks' 

 Bay, Western Australia, eastward to northern New Zealand, only 

 sub-specific differences being discernible. Microcarbo brevirostris 

 we allow to be specifically distinct from the Australian melano- 

 leucus, but the genus, hke the succeeding Phalacrocorax, ranges 

 from Europe, but with a more southern distribution. The last- 

 named has only sub -specifically varied all over the Old World, 

 and hence we get only a sub-specific difference between the 

 Australian and Neozelanic forms. The Shags of New Zealand 

 can therefore be seen to have two distinct sources — from the north 

 via Austraha, and from the south from the Antarctic. We have 

 refrained from going into great detail and providing much 

 speculation, as Hutton did in The Emu some years ago, and 

 unfortunately the acquisition of much material has shown the 

 majority of his premises to be framed upon insecure bases. Thus 

 it might be noted that a species has been named on account of 

 lack of a certain character, and this was thoroughly discussed 

 by Hutton ; since then specimens have been received showing 

 the " species " to possess the character alleged as lost. 



Two Gannets are included in the fauna as breeding species — the 

 one from the Kermadecs, a tropical form also occurring as a breeder 

 in Northern Australia ; the other breeding on the mainland, and 

 sub-specifically representing a Gannet breeding in Southern 

 Austraha and specifically representing a South African species 

 and a North European species — a pecuhar group. 



With the Gannet at the Kermadecs hve a Tropic-Bird, the Sooty 

 Tern, Little Grey Noddy, White-capped Noddy, and White Tern. 

 These are all tropical species, the first, second, and fourth breeding 

 in tropical AustraUa, the other two being absent. These can 

 scarcely be considered as affecting the New Zealand avifauna in 

 the connection in which we are discussing it. Otherwise, as to 

 Gulls, Terns, and Skuas, we find four Terns and three Gulls 

 breeding on the mainland, and a Tern and Skua confined to the 

 Subarctic groups. While the former are more or less represented 

 (as hereafter noted) in Austraha, the latter are absent, save that 

 the Skua straggles northward to that locahty. As to the Terns, 

 the same species. White-fronted Tern, Fairy Tern, and Caspian 

 Tern, breed, with only a sub-specific distinction, whereas the New 

 Zealand Black-fronted Tern we consider a pecuhar modification 

 of the Australian Marsh Tern {Chlidonias hybrida) ; but this 

 affinity has not yet been determined absolutely. The species, 



