216 Transactions.—Zoology. 
cinereous brown, fasciated on the sides and flanks with narrow markings 
of fulvous. 
After fully describing the ordinary plumage of the adult male, I stated 
that the female was smaller, with darker plumage and duller coloured legs ; 
and that in immature birds the tints of the plumage generally are lighter, 
the transverse markings are less distinct, and the colours of the bill and 
legs are paler; the irides are dark brown; there is less rufous on the 
head and often considerably more of the cinereous grey colour on the 
breast and abdomen. 
Ocypromus Fuscus, Dubus.—Kelp-hen. 
An apparently adult female specimen of this bird in the Canterbury 
Museum (obtained at Preservation Inlet) has the general plumage brownish- 
black; throat dark grey mixed with smoky-brown; the plumage of the 
fore-neck, lower hind-neck, and upper surface of wings presenting dull 
streaky marks of rufous, each feather being irregularly touched with this 
on each web; tail-feathers black; under coverts obscurely marked with 
rufous. On the under face of one of the primaries (an old feather which 
came out on being handled) there are obsolete rufous bars; and the 
scattered new feathers appearing on the upper surface of the body are 
almost entirely black ; bill, bright reddish-brown at the base, horn-grey 
towards the tips of both mandibles ; legs and feet reddish-brown. 
It may be inferred from this state of plumage that the tendency of this 
species is to darken towards maturity. Ihave not yet had an opportunity 
of examining a first year’s bird, but, judging by analogy, I think Captain 
Hutton is probably right in his conjecture that his ‘ O. finschi is only the 
young of O. fuscus." * 
Dr. Finsch himself ł expressed the suspicion that one was a variety of 
the other. 
Ocypromus SYLVESTRIS, Sclater. 
This is a very distinct species inhabiting Lord Howe Island. There 
were too living examples in the Gardens of the Zoological Society when I 
last visited them in 1873. 
OCYDROMUS LAFRESNAYANUS, Verr. et Des Murs. 
This form is peculiar to New Caledonia. The Zoological Society received 
a live specimen from Dr. Geo. Bennett in June, 1869, and another from the 
same donor in May, 1878. 
* "Trans. N.Z. Inst," IX, p. 331. T “Trans. N.Z. Inst.,” VII, p. 232. 
