BuLLEE. — On some Birds in the Colonial Museum. 225 



{N'umenius cyanopus). I have not myself seen it, but Dr. Hector, through 

 whose hands it passed, had no difficulty in determining the species by 

 comparing it with Australian examples in the Colonial Museum. 



3. HiMANTOPUS NOVJE-ZEALANDI^, Gould. 



Among the specimens on the table there is a remarkable albino variety of 

 the Black Stilt, also obtained by Liardet in the Wairau, and purchased by 

 Dr. Hector. The entire plumage is white, clouded with smoky grey on the 

 crown and sides of the head, and on the upper surface of the body. There 

 are a few straggling black feathers on the wings, back and rump, and the 

 under surface of the quills is mottled with grey. The primaries and secondaries, 

 it may be further mentioned, are much abraded or worn on both sides of 

 the shaft. 



4. Anas supeeciliosa, Gmelin. 



The specimen exhibited, which was obtained in the Wairarapa Lake, 

 appears to me to be merely an abnormal variety of the common Grey Duck. 

 It is much larger than ordinary examples, and presents some peculiar 

 markings in the plumage. There is a broad irregular patch of white on the 

 lower part of the foreneck; the speculum on the wings is nearly obliterated, 

 the secondaries being dull white on their outer webs, while their coverts have 

 a broad terminal band of pale brown and white. The two outer primaries in 

 one wing, and the second and third in the other, are entirely white. There 

 are likewise some eccentric markings on the feathers of the crop and sides of 

 the breast. These individual peculiarities may be due, as Dr. Hector has 

 suggested, to hybridization — possibly the result of a cross with the domestic 

 duck. 



5. Stercoeaeius paeasiticus, Linn. 



The Colonial Museum has recently received a fresh specimen of BufTon's 

 Skua, in immature plumage, but I have not yet been able to ascertain where 

 it was killed. This is only the second recorded instance of the occurrence of 

 this species in New Zealand. (See Birds of New Zealand, p. 268). 



6. Phalaceocoeax beevieosteis, Gould. 



The specimen now exhibited to the meeting would seem to favour the view 

 held by some collectors that there is a small Black Shag in New Zealand 

 distinct from F. hrevirostris. The young of that species is known to be 

 entirely black (see Birds of New Zealand, p. 330); but here we have an 

 adult bird exhibiting a seasonal change of plumage from a rusty or brownish 

 black to the glossy black, and without any indication of white on the throat or 

 foreneck. For the present, however, Ave must treat it as a melanoid variety 

 of the common species. 



Dl 



