268 IOWA STUDIES IN NATURAL HISTORY 
widely distributed member of the Larine, the New Zealand Cas- 
pian tern (Sterna caspia olivert) which differs but slightly from 
our own caspia. 
In the rocky bays and coves both the black shag (Carbo c. 
stead’) and the more abundant pied shag (Hypoleucus v. varius) 
breed. The mating season of the latter had just begun (July 23). 
These birds nest in colonies, usually on the branches of pahuto- 
kawa trees overhanging the water, and in such places scores of 
them could be seen engaging in various types of mating antics. 
This trip also included a visit to Gannet Island, a small bit of 
coastal voleanie rock of perhaps 12,500 square yards area where 
several pairs of New Zealand gannets (Sula serrator) had built or 
were building their crude nests on the bare and precipitous slopes. 
Only a half dozen forms of Anseres are recorded for the Do- 
minion, of which the brown duck (Elasmonetta chlorotis) is the 
most common. I saw scores of individuals on Lake Rotorua, a 
considerable body of fresh water 170 miles southeast of Auckland. 
The grey duck (Anas superctliosa) and the New Zealand shoveller 
(Spatula rhynchotis) occur not infrequently, the latter often in 
a semi-domesticated condition. 
Of the existing Paludicole the most notable is the beautiful 
blue pukeko (Porphyrio melanonotus). In general appearance 
it is something like our purple gallinule but larger; it is not un- 
common in marshy places. Certain recent observations seem to 
confirm the belief that the endemic notornis (Notornis hochstet- 
tert), which has been thought to be extinct, may still exist in at 
least one remote part of the Dominion. 
Although comparatively few migratory birds occur in New 
Zealand it is among the members of the order Limicole that the 
largest number of migratory forms is found. It is interesting to 
note that North America is included in the range of the following: 
knot. (Tringa canutus), turnstone (Arenarta interpres), golden 
plover (Charadrius dominicus) and the red phalarope (Phalaropus 
fulicarius). I did not see any of these, the only representative 
of the order which I was privileged to view being the oyster- 
catcher (Haematopus unicolor) along the shores near Onehunga. 
Of Columbiformes, the only representative which occurs in the 
Dominion is the New Zealand pigeon (Hemiphaga nove-zealan- 
div) now confined to the more isolated and inaccessible bush. It 
is very shy and keeps well to the tops of the tall trees. 
I saw only four or five examples of raptorial birds during my 
