BuLLEE. — On the Ornithology of Neto Zealand. 195 



nesiotis) was discovered by Sir George Grey in a very peculiar 

 way, already recorded by me/'= In forwarding a living example 

 of it to the Zoological Gardens, Sir George reported that 

 " it can flutter a little, but obviously uses its wings and not 

 its legs as a means of escape." On examining this form. Dr. 

 Sclater, who named and described the species, found that the 

 wings, sternum, and coracoids are all reduced in length, and 

 the crest of the sternum in depth, in comparison with the 

 same bones in the European Waterhen {G. chloropus), whilst, 

 on the other hand, the thigh-bones and pelvis are increased in 

 length, the former by four lines, relatively to the same bones 

 in the common Waterhen. " Hence," as Mr. Darwin re- 

 marks, "in the skeleton of the natural species nearly the 

 same changes have occurred, only carried a little further, as 

 with our domestic ducks, and in the latter case I presume no 

 one will dispute that they have resulted from the lessened use 

 of the wings and the increased use of the legs."t 



Phalacrocorax punctatus, Sparrm. (Spotted Shag.) 



An albino of this species from Canterbury has the whole of 

 the under-parts pure white ; entire upper-surface very pale 

 brown, the centre of each feather dark ; varied on the hind- 

 neck and on the right shoulder with grey, the feathers on the 

 latter having darker margins ; back, rump, and thighs, also 

 wings and tail, very pale-brown, varied more or less with 

 darker brown ; on the left side the white on the neck and 

 breast has an ashy shade, the broad white stripe from the 

 back of the eye down the side of the neck being very con- 

 spicuous. 



Phalacrocorax varius, Gmelin. (Pied Shag.) 



It is a very curious fact in local distribution that this 

 species of Shag is commonly found only at the far north and 

 in the far south. On a visit to Stewart Island in February 

 last I met with several shaggeries of this species in Pater- 

 son's Inlet. The birds were rather shy, but I was able to get 

 some by rowing in a boat straight up to the overhanging trees, 

 and, having brought them out of the shaggery, shooting them 

 as tlaey circled overhead. I obtained two pairs, and as they 

 were in good plumage I converted them all into specimens. 

 In both sexes the high colouring on the soft parts of the face 

 is very conspicuous. In front of the eye there is a broad 

 pear-shaped bare patch of vivid orange, and the rest of the 

 naked membrane enclosing and surrounding the eye is of a 

 bright mazarine-blue, changing to turquoise-green on the eye- 



* " Birds of New Zealand," vol. ii., p. 104. 



t " Animals and Plants under Domestication." 



; L I B R A R Y I 



