Occasional Notes. 145 



to be seen skimming along the surface, or diving for 

 long distances, and coursing ahead of the boat. They 

 are said to be common also in the water-path of many 

 ^ of the estates, They are of a dark slaty-brown colour 

 above, and grey below, with streaks of white along the 

 head and neck. The bill is sharp, long and narrow. 

 The toes are webbed, but instead of being united to 

 each other, they are free from near the base, the 

 expanded skin being indented opposite each joint of 

 the digits. 



As the anatomy and affinities of the bird require 

 investigation, I should be extremely glad to receive, from 

 those who have opportunities of procuring them, adult 

 'jirds, nestlings and eggs, in spirit, together with notes on 

 the nesting and habits of the birds. 



On Snake-poison Stories. — So many tales are told of 

 the recovery of persons bitten by snakes, where such 

 simple and perfectly useless remedies as sugar and 

 onions, salt, parafine oil, etc,, have been made use of, 

 that one naturally receives such a story with caution 

 where the additional statement is introduced that the 

 snake was a poisonous species. Cases are to hand, few 

 though they certainly are, proving beyond a doubt the 

 virulence of the poison of the three chief poison snakes 

 of the colony ; and after making due allowance for the 

 well-known fa6l that many animals, and notably the 

 human subje6l, are often bitten inefficiently owing to a 

 variety of ascertainable causes, there yet must remain 

 the very large proportion of cases of snake-bite, 

 referable to innocuous species. 



T 



