Petrels of the Kermadec Group. 427 



been procured either on Sunday Island or on Meyer Island 

 in the month of November. 



CEstrelata neglecta variety, p. 754, is used for a specimen, 

 which Hutton decided must be the Summer Mutton Bird 

 breeding on Sunday Island. Further, on p. 755, (Estrelata 

 phillipi Gray was used for a uniformly coloured dark bird 

 which Hutton considered distinct, though all the birds were 

 sent together with no differential notes by the collector on 

 the Island. 



The suggestions made by Hutton to account for the 

 variation I will deal with at the end of this paper. BuUer at 

 once declared that CE. leucophrys Hutton was only a form of 

 (E. neglecta Schlegel, which he accepted as the correct name 

 of the species; while he stated that he had proposed to 

 describe the very dark birds Hutton called (E. phillipi 

 Gray, but that Salvin had dissuaded iiim ; Salvin's view 

 being that the very light as well as the uniform dark birds 

 were only colour variations of one very variable species. 



Not satisfied, Hutton endeavoured to obtain information 

 regarding the habits of these birds. In a letter to Buller 

 (Oct. 7, 1902), he communicated his results. 



White Titi (CE. neglecta} commences to breed early in 

 November ; inland, on ridges : young covered with white 

 down. 



Black Titi [CE. phillipi) commences to breed late in 

 November ; on the coast, on the edges of cliffs : young 

 covered with greyish down. 



Hutton had no further information concerning CE. 

 leucophrys, but assumed that it might have different habits 

 and hence should be treated as a variety or incipient species. 

 Later he contended that the Winter Mutton Birds were 

 CE. leucophrys Hutton. 



Buller in his Supplement, notwithstanding his apparent 

 acceptance of Hutton^s views, included three species as 

 surface-breeding at the KermadeCs : — CE. mollis Gould, 

 CE. neglecta Schlegel, and CE. jyhillipi Gray. The first is 

 included though no new evidence is produced in its favour, 



