198 Transactions.— Zoology. 
localities where this bird has occurred. This note is made with a view of 
drawing the attention of such naturalists as may have opportunities of making 
themselves acquainted with our wading tribes. 
No. C. 78.—HIMANTOPUS SPICATUS, n.s. 
Black-throated Stilt. 
Diagnosis of a female killed in October on the Selwyn or Waikerikeri 
river. . 
Upper plumage deep blackish green ; frontals narrow ; irregular circlet 
round the eye ; chin white ; space between eye and gape white, slightly flecked 
with black ; foreneck and part of breast black ; lower part of breast white ; 
feathers sparingly margined with black, deepest on the centre of the breast ; 
abdomen, white; tibials white, tipped with black ; upper tail-coverts white, 
slightly tipped with deep green ; under tail-coverts white ; tail blackish green, 
four outer feathers on either side having the inner webs marked with white 
and brown, centre feathers deep blackish green, shafts white ; shafts of wings 
black ; bill black ; legs light red, deeper colour than those of H. leucocephalus, 
but not so deep as those of H. melas = H. nove-zealandic. 
In. Lines. 
Bill from gape ... vas “i nie ne y eee 
Tarsus es ee sie ee E s> 9 
Middle toe and claw “a ai oe a 1 64 
Wing from flexure ee we re a eee | 
Total length .. Toi 
On comparing this specimen with a large series of Himantopus in the 
Canterbury Museum the bill was found to be shorter than that either of 
H. melas, or H. leucocephalus. The bird was a female, nearly in a condition 
to lay. 
No. A. 79.—LIMNOCINCLUS AUSTRALIS, Gray. 
Marsh Sandpiper. 
On December 12th four small sandpipers were observed on the shore of 
Lake Ellesmere ; these were obtained for the Canterbury Museum. Male, 
summer plumage, bill black ; irides dark brown ; top of the head ferruginous 
speckled with black ; line from immediately above the base of upper mandible 
through the eye white; throat and chin white ; ramals white with a few 
minute dots of brown ; upper surface, centre of feathers dark brown, feathers 
_ margined with fulvous shaded down to almost white at the distal end ; upper 
_ wing-coverts dark brown, edged with fulvous ; primaries dark brown, outer 
ie web, darkest ; shafts white ; secondaries brown, narrowly edged with white ; 
upper tail-coverts dark brown, edged with fulvous ; tail brown, tipped with 
