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 hreast hlack ; lower part of breast white ; 

 feathers sparingly margined with black, deepest on the centre of the breast ; 

 abdomen, white ; tibials white, tipped with black j 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. novce-zealandice. 



In. Lines. 

 Bill from gape ... ... ... ... ... 2 9 



Tarsus 



Middle toe and claw 

 Wing from flexure 

 Tail ... 

 Total length 



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 AusTKALis, 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 

 web, darkest ; shafts white ; secondaries brown, narrowly edged with white ; 

 upper tail-coverts dark brown, edged with fulvous ; tail brown, tipped with 



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