Oliver. — Birds of the Kermadec Is/ands. 93 



Porphyrio melanotus. 



The akin of a specimen shot by K. Bell on the Denham Bay beach on 

 the 27th April, 1909, is in the Auckland Museum. R. Bell notes : " Contents 

 of stomach, quills and bits of feather. From this we may conclude that 

 it has been eating the dead wideawakes." 



Sterna bergii. 



The skin on which the first record {I.e., p. 215) of this bird in the Ker- 

 madecs was based is that of a young male shot by K. Bell on the 1st April, 

 1910. The bird was firsi. noticed on Denham Bay beach on the previous 

 day. 



Limosa novaezealandiae. 



One skin collected by R. Bell on the 4th November, 1909, and eleven 

 others collected on various dates from the 16th October to the 28th November, 

 1910, are in the Auckland Museum. Bell records that these birds were 

 seen singly or in small flocks, sometimes associating with Charadrius 

 dominicus, in the crater and in Denham Bay. 



Prion desolatus. 



The skin on which the record (I.e.) is based was taken from a specimen 

 found by R. Bell cast up bv the sea on Denham Bay beach on the 29th 

 July, 1910. 



Tringa canutus. 



The specimen recorded (I.e.) was taken on Denham Bay beach on the 

 17th October, 1910. 



Heteropygia acuminata. 



A skin obtained from a specimen shot by R. Bell on the 29th October, 

 1910, is in the Auckland Museum. 



Ai.T. XV. — Some New Species of Plants. 



By T. F. Cheeseman. F.L.S., F.Z.S., Curator of the Auckland 



Museum. 



[Read before the Auckland Institute, 11th December, 1912.] 



1. Aciphylla Spedeni Cheesem. sp. nov. 



A. Dobsoni Hook. f. affinis, sed differt caule multo niajore, foliis 

 numerosibus et flabellatim 6-9-lobatis. 



Planta robusta, e basi ramosa, 10-30 cm. diam., ramis dense com- 

 pactis. Folia numerosis&ima, 40-60, dense conferta aut imbricata, 

 10-15 cm. longa, rigida, coriacea, glaberriina, nitida quasi vernicosa, 

 flabellatim 6-9 lobata ; petiolis vaginantibus, apiee coriaceis, basi mem- 

 branaceis, 2-3*5 cm. latis, lobis (aut segmentis) linearibus, 6-8 cm. longis, 

 2-5-5 mm. latis, apice acuminatis et pungentibus. Pedunculi robusti, 

 erecti, foliis vix longiores. Umbellae composirae, in capitulum densum 

 crassum congestae 6-8 cm. diam. Bracteae inferae 3-5 cm. longae, basi 

 membranaceae, latae, apice breviter 7-8 partitae. Floras albi, nurnerosi. 

 Fructus ignotus. 



