T. W. Kirk. — On some Additioiis to Birds in the Colonial Museum. 235 



Art. XXX. — Notes on some Additions to the Collection of Birds in the 



Colonial Museum. By T. W. Kirk, Assistant in the Colonial Museum. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 11th February, 1881.] 



By permission of Dr. Hector, I have the pleasure of bringing before the 



notice of the Society several interesting birds lately received at the Museum. 



1. Porphyria tnelanotus. — Pukeko. 



Porphyrio melaiwtus, Temm. 



Several examples of abnormal colouring in this species have been 

 recorded, but no instance of a pure albino has yet been noticed, unless we 

 accept Dr. Buller's suggestion that Porphyrio stanleyi, described in Eowley's 

 " Ornithological Miscellany," Vol. I., p. 37, is merely an albino of P. 

 melanotus. It is, therefore, with great pleasure that I now draw your 

 attention to an undoubted albino, obtained at Lake Grassmere by Mr. 

 Liardet. 



Description : — The whole of the plumage is quite white ; the frontal plate 

 is small, and nearly square ; total length, 19 inches ; wing, from flexure, 

 10-5 ; tail, 4-4 ; frontal plate, across the top, -5 ; from posterior edge of 

 frontal plate to tip of superior mandible, 2-75 ; along the edge of inferior 

 mandible, 1-6 ; bare portion of tibia, 1-2 ; tarsus, 3-5 ; middle toe, 3-5, 

 and claw, '5 ; inner toe, 2-3, and claw, •& ; outer toe, 2*9, and claw, '5 ; 

 hind toe, 1*2, and claw, -5. 



The bird is somewhat small, but, as will be seen, agrees in the propor- 

 tion of its measurements with the common " swamp hen," and may perhaps 

 afford slight evidence in support of the specific distinction of P. stanleyi, the 

 wing of which is shorter, and the legs and feet apparently stouter than in 

 the specimen under consideration. 



2. Atias chlorotis. — Brown duck. 



In a paper read before this Society in 1878, Dr. Duller mentioned that 

 an albino specimen of the common " brown duck " was shot on the Horo- 

 whenua lake, the whole plumage being of a dull cream colour, with obsolete 

 markings. The specimen now before you is a partial albino, shot at the 

 Wau-arapa lake in April last. 



Face and a band across the forehead white with numerous brown spots ; 

 back and abdomen irregularly marked with grey and white feathers ; wings 

 white with irregular black patches, the coverts being of the usual colour but 

 with many of the feathers either entirely white or deeply margined with the 

 same ; bill and feet bluish black. 



3. In passing through Featherston in May last, I observed a man carry- 

 ing several ducks, one of which immediately attracted my attention, both by 



