BuLLER. — On the Ornithology of Nciv Zealand. 187 



Anthus novse-zealandisB, Grnelin. (New Zealand Pipit.) 



A partial albino from Canterbury has the upper surface of 

 wings, sides of body and abdomen, scapulars and tail-feathers 

 greyish-white ; the rest of the plumage normal. A specimen 

 which I saw in Dunedin in January last had the entire 

 plumage of the body pure white, the head only betraying the 

 natural colours. 



Rhipidura fuliginosa, Sparrm. (Black Fantail.) 



One of these birds in perfect plumage was recently seen 

 in the bush reserve at Papaitonga, where it was associating 

 with the ordinary Fantail. As the occurrence of tliese 

 stragglers from the South Island has become more nume- 

 rous of late years than formerly, there is some chance of the 

 species establishing itself in the North Island. 



Anthornis melanura, Sparrm. (Bell-bird.) 



To the accidental varieties which I have previously re- 

 corded I have now to add an albino from Akaroa, the whole 

 of the plumage being white, slightly tinged with golden- 

 yellow. 



Specimens of this bird from the Auckland Islands appear 

 to be, as a rule, a trifle larger than New Zealand examples. 



Prostheinadera novge-zealandise, Gmelin. (Tui.) 



From Stewart Island I have received a beautiful albino 

 of this species. The whole of the plumage is of the purest 

 white ; the bill and the feet are also white. 



Xenicus longipes, Gmelin. (Bush Wren.) 



At Milford Sound in February last I saw a single example 

 of this very rare species, and managed to procure it undamaged 

 with a small charge of dust-shot. I saw another a few 

 weeks later on Stewart Island. It was in a low shrub by 

 the roadside, and on my approach descended quickly to the 

 ground, but it was so nimble in its movements that I was- 

 unable to get a shot at it. The specimens sent to me by Mr. 

 Brough were captured by him by means of a hand-net, and,, 

 as specimens, were entirely uninjured. Writing to me of this 

 species, he says : "On my last visit to the mountains I found four 

 very neatly made nests of the Bush Wren. They were placed 

 under an overhanging clay bank, but there were no eggs in 

 any of them. I found out when I was living for months in 

 this solitude among the Wrens that if by chance you wound 

 or hurt one it is sure to fly away to its nest. I observed, too, 

 that in wet or stormy weather they rest in their old abandoned 

 nests." 



