Buller. — On the Genus Himantopus in Zew Zealand. 223 



present see, be a transitional state of either of those species. One of these 

 presented to the Museum by the late Dr. Barker, bears the following label : — 

 " Orari, Feb. 16, 1872, male," and appears to be in full adult plumage. The 

 other, which is labelled, " Saltwater Creek, April, 1873, male," is apparently 

 a less matured bird. On observing certain indications of a change from black 

 to white in the latter, I at first supposed that the white head and neck might 

 represent the true winter plumage of Himantopus novce-zealandice ; but, as 

 directly opposed to this view, Dr. Barker's specimen, which I am disposed to 

 make the type of a new species, was killed towards the end of summer. In 

 this bird the entire head and neck, with the breast and under parts are pure 

 white; rump and upper tail-coverts also white; back, scapulars and upper 

 surface of wings and tails glossy black, the inferior primaries and the 

 secondaries tipped with white ; under surface of wings and the axillary plumes 

 black. Total length, 14*25 inches; wing from flexure, 9-25; tail, 3; bill 

 along the ridge, 2-6, along the edge of lower mandible, 2*9 ; bare tibia, 2*2 ; 

 tarsus, 3*75; middle toe and claw, 1*5. 



In selecting a specific name for this bird I have adopted that of //. 

 albicollis because it exactly expresses the feature which distinguishes it from 

 the two others, viz., its having the neck entirely white. The same name was 



applied to a Stilt Plover by Vieillot, but this has proved to be only a synonym 

 of H. autumnalis, and the title is therefore free again. 



The series of specimens under consideration is unfortunately very deficient 

 in examples killed in winter, and the examination of the subject therefore has 

 not been as complete or exhaustive as I would wish ; but two points at any 

 rate have been gained, namely, the elimination from our list of Himantopus 

 spicatus (which proves to be no species at all) and the placing on record of a 

 hitherto undescribed form — the White-necked Stilt — which, so far as our 

 present evidence goes, is a good and valid species. To my mind it is perfectly 

 clear that it is either II. novce-zealandice, in the mature winter plumage, 



>wn 



rightly labelled as killed in summer, that fact alone is sufficient to disprove 

 the former assumption. The general results are embodied in the following 

 synopsis : 



1. Himantopus leucocephalus. 



Himantopus leucocephalus, Gould, P.Z.S., 1837, p. 26. 

 Himantopus alius, Ellman, Zoologist, 1861, p. 7,470. 

 Himantopus leucocephalus, Buller, Birds of N.Z., 1873, p. 203. 



2. Himantopus nov^e-zealandi^e. 



Himantopus novce-zealandice, Gould, P.Z.S., 1841, p. 8. 

 Himantopus melees, Hombr. and Jacq., Ann. Sci. Nat, 1841, p. 320, 



