of the Birds of Auckland. 395 



orcream-colour with red-chestnut spots, principally on the larger 

 end : length 1*5 in., breadth 1*2 in. 



AnatiDjE : — Anas superciliosa : — Both sexes are alike, but the 

 feet and legs of the male are of a dirt}'^ orange with dusky spots 

 on the webs ; and those of the female dirty yellow-ochre. Irides 

 of both brown. Bill greenish-blue, with bla -k nail and an irre- 

 gular black mark below the nostrils; the base of the lower 

 mandible is also black. Egg yellowish-white : length 2*35, 

 breadth 1 "75 in. Spatula variegata: — Male. Irides yellow, legs, 

 feet, and membranes bright yellowish-orange ; nails brown ; bill 

 blue-black. Female. Irides yellowish-hazel; feet and legs dull 

 yellowish-ochre; membranes dusky; bill greenish-grey, darkest 

 near the tip; lower surface of lower mandible yellow ochre. 

 Fuligula nova-zelandia : — Male. Irides yellow ; bill ash-bluc, 

 tipped with black ; legs and toes grey ; membranes black, bor- 

 dered near each toe with grey. Female. Irides brown ; bill 

 bluish-black ; legs and feet as in the male. 



Nyroca aust^-alis, Gould, is not uncommon on the lakes in the 

 interior of the island. Male. Head, neck, and breast dark 

 reddish-brown ; back dark brown, each feather on the upper 

 part tipped with greenish brown ; sides brown, each feather 

 tipped with yellowish brown ; upper abdomen white, lower ab- 

 domen brown ; lower tail-coverts white ; under wing-coverts 

 white, upper brown with green reflections ; wing-feathers white, 

 tipped with dark brown, outer webs of first four primaries brown ; 

 tertials brown with green reflections; tail brown; irides white; 

 bill black, with a dark slate-blue band at the tip; front of 

 tarsi very light grey, behind darker ; toes very light grey ; 

 membranes black, bordered with light grey on the side of each 

 toe. Length 20 inches, wing from carpal joint 8*5 in., bill from 

 gape 2'25 in., tarsus 1"5 in. Windpipe swollen. 



Female. Head, neck and breast russet- brown, speckled with 

 white on the throat, and with black on the breast, darkest on 

 the top of the head ; back and sides as in the male ; uj)per abdo- 

 men dirty white, lower brown ; tail and wings as in the male, 

 but the white of the primaries shaded with brown; irides light 

 brown ; bill greenish-grey, tipped with slate blue, lower man- 

 dible greyish-blue ; legs and feet as in the male. Length 19 



