T. W. Kirk. — Variations of Colour in Birds. 6l 



Five years later two specimens almost identical, having the body, head, 

 and neck of a pale slaty-grey, but the wings and tail white, were shot in the 

 mountains near Featherston, and secured for the Museum.* 



I have now to note the capture of two additional examples further 

 illustrating the tendency which this bird shows to depart from the typical 

 colour ; both specimens, like those above-mentioned, were procured in the 

 Wairarapa district, which locality appears from some cause or other to 

 afford peculiar facilities for the production of these "freaks of nature." 

 (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xii., 248 ; xiii., 235 ; xiv., 544.) 



The first of these additional specimens is a pure albino shot near 

 Greytown by Mr. W. C. Creff. 



The next may be regarded as the second step in the progress towards 

 albinism. This species is an uniform bluish-slate colour, with the exception 

 of the wings and tail which are lighter, the shafts of the quills being quite 

 white. It was obtained on the Dry River, Wairarapa, by Mr. Sinclair 

 Liardet. 



2. Ardea pceciloptila, Wagl. Bittern, Matuku. 



A specimen of this bird lately procured at Foxton was shown to me a 

 few days ago. It had a large white patch on each shoulder and on the 

 back of the neck, the remainder of the plumage was of the usual colour, 

 though somewhat dimmed. I do not remember the record of any similar 

 description in this species. 



3. Anas cJdorotis, Gray. Brown Duck, Pateke. 



In 1878 Dr. Buller described an albino of this species which was shot 

 on the Horowhenua Lake. 



The capture of a partial albino on the Wairarapa Lake was recorded by 

 myself in vol. xiii., Trans. N.Z. Inst. 



The specimen to which I have now to direct attention also comes from 

 the Wairarapa, and is more remarkable than either of those before men- 

 tioned. The head and neck are pure white, with the exception of a few 

 feathers of the normal colour near the base of the bill. A band of white, 

 with a few coloured feathers interspersed, runs across both wing coverts, 

 primaries and tail with numerous patches of white. The white head and 

 neck, together with the band of the same colour on the wings, give it some- 

 what the appearance of a paradise duck (Casarca variegatd), and suggest the 

 possibility of its being the result of a cross with that species. 



4. Ossifraga gigantea, Gml. Nelly, Giant Petrel. 



On page 84 of the "Manual of New Zealand Birds" issued by the Geological 

 Survey Department, appears the following remark by the author : "A 

 variety with white plumage is not uncommon, a fine specimen captured 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xiv., p. 544. 



