Birds. 7473 



Blacklegged Tern (Tara nui), Sterna atripes. Distinguished from 

 the preceding by its black beak and legs. 



Little Tern (Tara paku), Sterna parva. One half the size of the 

 common tern, but exactly similar in plumage. 



Gray Tern (Tara), Sterna cinerea. Often found inland as well as on 

 the coast. 



Fam. Pkocellarid^. 



Mutton Bird (Titi), Procellaria tridactyla, Forster. Breeds in the 

 mountains. Is often caught at dusk, on a dark foggy evening, by 

 lighting a fire on a conspicuous spot, towards which it is sure to fly on 

 its return from sea. It is then killed with a stick. 



Cape Pigeon, Procellaria punctata. Very common on the coast of 

 the middle and south Island. 



Whale Bird, Procellaria ? 



Storm Petrel (Oi), Procellaria aequinoctionalis, Latham. 



Great WJiite Albatross (Torva), Procellaria ■ ? 



Brown Albatross (Torva pango), Procellaria ? 



Ashcoloured Petrel (Titi), Procellaria ? 



Grayheaded Black Petrel (Titi makavve), Procellaria ? 



All the above species, and many others with which I have very little 

 acquaintance, breed in great numbers on the Snares Islands, south of 

 Stewart's Island ; some also breed on the mainland, but I have not 

 paid sufficient attention to them to accurately define them. I believe 

 that there are yet perhaps fifty species of undescribed birds, and I 

 hope that the above brief notes may be the means of drawing the atten- 

 tion of observers, who are more competent and more at liberty than I 

 am, to the Ornithology of New Zealand. 



The above notes give the following analysis : — 



Raptores * 5 



Insessores 31 



Rasores 3 (living) 



• Grallaloies 27 



Natatores 34 



Total . . 100 



J. B. Ellman. 

 Lewes, March 8, 1861. 



VOL. XIX. 2 A 



