BuLLER. — On Neic Zealand Birch. 39 



in the other. The lighter-pkimagecl birds were obtained at the 

 Auckland Islands, and of these the female has a bill fully 

 0-25in. longer than in the male. The darker-colom-ed birds 

 (which, again, are i^recisely alike in plumage) came from the 

 Snares, and ought perhaps to be referred to Gallinago pusilla. 



Tringa canutus, Linn. 



The specimen of this cosmopolitan species now on the table 

 was obtained in Pelorus Sound. It is prettily marked, and 

 indicates the commencement of a change from winter to 

 siunmer plumage, birds in the latter garb being extremely rare 

 in this country. 



Larus novae-hoUandiae, Stephens. 



The specimen now exhibited exactly accords with Mr. 

 Howard Saunders's description of this species, and the bill, 

 which is appreciably larger than in Larus scoimlinus, is of the 

 same arterial-red colour. I exhibit, at the same time, an 

 adult specimen of the latter for comparison. 



But here is another Gull, recently received from Otago, and 

 coming nearer to Larus hulleri (Hiitton) than any of the others, 

 which appears to be a distinct species. It will be seen that it 

 has the same narrow bill as the latter. Instead of being 

 entirely black, as in ordinary specimens, the bill is reddish- 

 brown at the base, with black tips, which may be due to the 

 season of the year in which it was killed. The legs, however, 

 which are blackish-brown in Larus hulleri all the year round, 

 appear, as far as one can judge from the dried specimen, to 

 have been pale- or pinky-red. It seems to be an adult bird, 

 notwithstanding the subterminal patches of black on the outer 

 webs of the secondaries, and we therefore examine with inter- 

 est the markings on the primaries, which are now recognised 

 as being the safest criterion for separating these closely-allied 

 forms. These we find to be very different from those in the 

 other species of the group. The first primary has a long oar- 

 shaped mark of white extending almost its enthe length, and 

 spreading out again at the base ; the second primary has a 

 smaller and more spatulate mark of white ; the third primary 

 has an irregular longitudinal bar of white occupying both sides 

 of the shaft and extending to within 2in. of the tip ; in the 

 succeeding quills the same character is continued, but the 

 white mark assumes a more symmetrical and rounded appear- 

 ance. 



Ocydromus earii, Gray. 



I have much pleasure in exhibiting a specimen of the true 

 Ocydromus earli, lately received from the Marlborough Pro- 

 vince ; also, for comparison, an example of the common North 



