192 Transactions. — -Zoology. 



about equal proportions, there being no pectoral line of de- 

 marcation. The lining of the wings is varied with white, in 

 an irregular way, down the line of the humerus, the quills are 

 greyish -white towards the base on their under-surface, and 

 the under tail-feathers are tipped with white. The secondary 

 coverts are white in their outer portion, but on one web only, 

 the alar-bar being somewhat broken along the edges ; and the 

 under tail-coverts are narrowly margined with white. The 

 specimen from which these notes are taken was captured at 

 the Pelorus Sound in the month of January. 



Tringa canutus, Linn. (Knot.) 



Eef erring to Mr. Cheeseman's specimens, shot by his 

 brother in Hobson's Bay, I said, in my " Birds of New Zea- 

 land " (vol. ii., p. 36) : " This is the first authentic record of 

 this species in the North Island ; but Captain Mair has de- 

 scribed to me a bird found associating in considerable numbers 

 with the Godwit on the East Coast, which I have no doubt is 

 the same." 



I have received some fine specimens, in both summer and 

 winter plumage, from Cape Farewell. A male bird gave the 

 following measurements : Length, 10-5in. ; extent of wings, 

 19-5in. ; wing from flexure, 6-5in. ; tail, 2-75in. ; bill, along 

 the ridge, l-25in. ; along the edge of lower mandible, l'12in. ; 

 tarsus, l'12in. ; middle toe and claw, I'lin. 



The female is slightly smaller in all its proportions. 



Porphyrio melanonotus, Temm. (Swamp-hen.) 



A partial albino obtained at Lake Ellesmere has the entire 

 body varied with pale-brown and white feathers intermixed 

 with the ordinary plumage, the feathers composing the mantle 

 being almost entirely pale-brown and brownish- white ; wings 

 and tail normal, except that the primaries are whitish on the 

 outer vane towards the base ; under tail-coverts pure white. 

 Another specimen from the same district has a few white 

 feathers scattered over the breast and among the wing- 

 coverts, whilst all the quills and tail-feathers are pure white, 

 with terminal bands of brownish-black. 



Ocydromus greyi, Buller. (North Island Woodhen.) 



This once very common species — whose cry, by the way, 

 exactly resembles that of the European Curlew — is fast dis- 

 appearing. In districts where only a few years ago it was 

 extremely plentiful its shrill cry is now seldom or never heard. 

 On a recent visit to Hawke's Bay I saw a lovely albino 

 of Ocydrovmis greyi, obtained in the Mohaka district. The 

 whole of the plumage is snow-white, with the exception of a 

 small patch between the shoulders, the croup, and the upper 



