BuLLEB. — On the Ornithology of Netv Zealand. 201 



through his kind assistance, the specimen was sent over for 

 my inspection. It turns out to be A^ias chlorotis in a con- 

 dition of partial albinism, the head being largely marked with 

 white. But the curious thing is that, by a freak of nature, 

 there is a well-developed "top-knot" of feathers on the hind 

 part of the head standing fully half an inch above the sur- 

 rounding plumage. This top-knot, which extends forward 

 into a line with the eyes, is white, with some irregulars plashes 

 of brownish-black, and the vertex and cheeks are also more 

 or less variegated with white. The rest of the plumage is 

 normal, the rounded spots on the breast and under-parts being 

 particularly prominent, and the white edging on the speculum 

 very conspicuous; and there is a crealny-white ring encircling 

 the neck. (See Plate XI.) 



Fiiligula novae-zealandiae, Gmelin. (New Zealand Scaup.) 



On the Papaitonga Lixke a "Black Teal" brought out 

 a brood of five young ones about the middle of December. 

 The old bird was to be seen daily swimming about near the 

 boatshed followed by her little family, huddled together in 

 a clump as it were, and at the slightest appearance of 

 danger the ducklings would instantly dive and reappear on 

 the surface further out on the lake. Early one morning, 

 on going down for a plunge in the water, I had an illus- 

 tration of the force of maternal instinct in this bird. On 

 opening the door of the boathouse leading to the spring- 

 board I surprised the duck and her brood disporting them- 

 selves in the water only ten or twelve yards out. On my 

 appearance the young birds instantly dived, whilst the old 

 bird, evidently to divert attention from its brood, came 

 swimming up to within a few feet of me with its mouth 

 open and uttering a low cry. In the meantime the young 

 had got to a safe distance under water, and then came to 

 the surface again, when the parent, seeing that the appre- 

 hended danger was past, quietly joined them. On mention- 

 ing this circumstance to my son, he told me that he 

 had witnessed a somewhat similar device on the part of 

 the same bird only a short time before. On this occasion 

 two sporting dogs took to the water and swam out in 

 the direction of the young brood. The old duck at once 

 rose in the air, flew up to the dogs, and kept circling 

 round them, so as to distract their attention till the young 

 birds were well out on the lake. 



Hymenolaemiis malacorhynchus, Gmelin. (Blue Duck.) 



There is a nestling of this species in the Auckland 

 Museum : Entire upper-surface olivaceous-brown, the down 

 filaments being long and coarse ; under-parts yellowish-white, 



