"38 Transactions. — Zoology. 



as common in the South Island as in the North, this might be 

 treated as the representative form." 



Prosthemadera novse-zealandiae, Gmehu. 



One of the most remarkable featm-es in the ornithology of 

 New Zealand is the fi'equeucy of albinism. Of no less than 

 thirty-three species, albinoes of greater or less purity have 

 been recorded. In the case of our common Tui (Prosthemadera 

 iiovcB-zealandia) four examples are mentioned in my "Birdfr 

 of New Zealand" (vol. i., p. 95). I have now to add the 

 singular specimen which I exliibit this evening, and which, 

 as I am informed, was obtained at Table Hill, about twelve 

 miles from Milton, in March, 1887. The general plumage is 

 white with a creamy tinge, the quills and tail-feathers being 

 pure- white. The fore part of the head is dull steel-black, 

 which colour fades away into greyish-brown on the neck and 

 •upper part of the breast, and then gradually blends with the 

 white. The bill and feet are of the normal colour; but 

 the claws are pale-brown. This is the best albino I have 

 seen. The one that comes nearest to it is the specimen ob- 

 tained by me at Wanganui (and now in the Colonial Museum), 

 a full description of which will be found in " The Birds of 

 New Zealand," 1st ed., p. 88. 



Platycercus novse-zealandise, Sparrm. 



One of the most variable of our species is the Eed-fronted 

 Parrakeet {Platycercus novce-zcalandia). No less than seven 

 varieties of this species, from different islands, have been de- 

 scribed and named by naturalists as distinct species. That 

 from the Auckland Islands is distinguished by its diminutive 

 size, being scarcely larger than my Platycercus roicleyi, from 

 the South Island. Cmiouslj' enough, the form which comes 

 from Antipodes Island (of which I exhibit two specimens, 

 3' and $ , this evening) is even larger than ordinary-sized 

 examples of this species in New Zealand. It chffers, too, from 

 the latter in the general hue of the plumage, which has a larger 

 admixture of yellow, and in ha\ang the frontal spot, which is 

 deep-crimson in the New Zealand bird, much reduced in extent,, 

 and more or less varied with yellow. It is very singular, also, 

 that this species should be found inhabiting a small area like 

 Antipodes Island, which forms the restricted habitat of the 

 perfectly distinct Platycercus unicolor. 



Gallinago aucklandica, Gray. 



It will be seen from the four examples of this rare .bird 

 which are now exliibited (two males and two females) that the 

 sexes are exactly alike in plumage. It will be noticed, also,^ 

 that the general coloration is much darker in one pair than 



