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THE ZOOLOGIST. 



before I had an opportunity of examining it, or it would have been interest- 

 ing to have noted the colour of its eye. In most albinos it is pinkish red, 

 or brown with a reddish tinge, as was the case with a white Starling killed 

 last year at Aberystwith, and recorded by me (Zool. 1882, p. 144). On the 

 other hand, some years since I saw a white Jackdaw [Corvus monedula) with 

 not only the plumage, but the eye, beak, legs, and claws pure white ; this, 

 however, seems to have been an exception to the general rule. I also saw 

 recently, at Aberystwith, a peculiar buff-coloured Starling killed near that 

 town. Speaking to a brother naturalist the other day he agreed with me 

 that, considering the enormous number of Starlings, albinos among them 

 were most rare. I hope the Editor will therefore forgive me if I say that 

 his note thereon (Zool. 1883, pp. 144) has not yet converted me to his 

 views. — E. Cambridge Phillips (Brecon, S. Wales). 



Habits of the Huia. — Any reliable information about the life of the 

 Huia, Heteralocha acutirostris, Gould, will doubtless prove acceptable to 

 ornithologists, as particulars of the habits of this bird in its wild state, as 

 hitherto published, have been very meagre. Its range is restricted ; a few 

 years ago we found it was not of very rare occurrence in some of the valleys 

 that run into the spurs of the Rimutuka mountain ; about the Manawatu 

 country it is yet to be met with. That it will be driven thence within a 

 short time seems only too sure, for the clearings of the noble forests in 

 that district are permitted to be carried on with great rapidity. Maories, 

 too, lend their aid in the work of extermination ; they have great regard 

 for the plumage of the bird as an ornament ; rangitiras of very distant 

 tribes may be seen decorated on certain great occasions with the feathers 

 or with the head of the Huia. These much-prized ornaments lead to the 

 destruction of great numbers of these interesting birds. The Maories use 

 very effective calls which draw Huias from a considerable distance ; in the 

 winter months, about July, camps are formed for the purpose of hunting 

 these birds ; usually some hundreds fall victims to arts of the destroyer. 

 Not only are skins with the heads dried ; I have a female specimen which 

 the native taxidermist has preserved whole in a flattened state. Huias 

 usually wander about in pairs ; they are very seldom to be seen on the 

 ground ; their time is mostly passed in the tops of the larger timber trees, 

 travelling from limb to limb, moving from tree to tree. Their flight is not 

 powerful nor long sustained, rarely do they cover more than a hundred 

 yards without perching. Sometimes, in the winter, as many as four may 

 be seen in company, in which case it is probably a family party that is 

 thus met with. Although their home is in deep forests amongst huge trees, 

 they have been observed in manuka scrub [Leptospermum) that clothes the 

 more open spurs and terraces, but such occurrences have been rare. Like 

 80 many of our native birds, they are very tame and confident, and perhaps 

 may never acquire the safeguard of shyness. Restless, they roam about. 



