Buller. — On the Ornithology of Neio Zealand. 207 



England with me, and have had no opportunity of comparing the two species. 

 The following are the measurements of a fine specimen (in full summer 

 plumage) obtained at the Ninety-mile Beach on the 2nd April. 



Length 



"Wing from flexure 



Tail 



• m 



Bill, along the ridge ... 

 Bare tibia 

 Tarsus 

 Middle-toe \ 



• • • ••« •• 



* • i ••• • • 



• * 



• # * 



Hallux and claw 



••• ••• ■»* 



• « 



9 inches. 



• i 



* » 



6-4 

 2-25 



1-15 



-55 



1-15 



1-15 



•25 



J? 



JJ 



" 



J? 



?? 



•* 



V 



Limosa baueri, Nanm. — New Zealand Godwit. 



I have mentioned in the Birds of New Zealand that the length of the bill 

 in this species is very variable. In an individual lately examined the bill 

 measures 4*6 inches, although the wing is only 9*5, and the tarsus 2*4. 



LlMNOCINCLUS ACUMINATUS, Ilovsf. 



This is a recent addition to our fauna, and several specimens of both sexes 

 have been obtained on the shores of Lake Ellesmere. 



In the fifth volume of Transactions (page 198) it is incorrectly called 

 " Limnocinclus australis, Gray." The synonymy stands thus 



Limnocinclus acuminatus, Horsf.; Jard. and Selb. I. O., pi. 91, 

 Gould, B. A. VI., pi. 30 =L. australis, Jard. and Selb. = Z. 

 rufescens, Midd. 



Spatula variegata, Gould — Spoon-bill Duck. 



The nestling of this duck is covered with thick down, with long produced 

 filaments on the upper parts of the body. The downy feathers composing the 

 tail are rather long and have broad spreading plumelets. The upper surface 

 is bright olive-brown ; a broad stripe over the eye, another less distinct 

 immediately below the eye, a conspicuous spot on each side of the back behind 

 the wings, and another on each side of the rump fulvous yellow ; the whole 

 of the under surface fulvous yellow, shading into brownish-olive on the sides 

 of the body and on the breast. Bill brown, with a yellow nail. 



Fuligula nov,e-zealandi.e, Gmelin. — New Zealand Scaup. 



There is a smaller form in the Canterbury Museum, several of which were 

 obtained at Lake Ellesmere. It is of a more chestnut hue than ordinary 

 specimens of this duck, but on a careful comparison I can find nothing to 

 distinguish it from the above species. 



Stercorarius parasiticus, Linn. — Buffon's Skua. 



Dr. Finsch expresses his belief that the New Zealand specimen of this 

 bird (still unique) which I forwarded to him for examination, is referable to 



