246 Transactions. — Zoology, 



for the same mode of attack. Dr. Hector* has giveu an account of the 

 capture of an adult male of Berardius arnuxii in the entrance of Wellington 

 Harbour, on January 12th, 1877, from which it appears that "the teeth 

 did not penetrate the gums, nor could their position be discovered till deep 

 incisions were made." This leads me to conclude that the male of this 

 species cannot use the teeth in the same manner as Ziphius nova-zealandicB 

 does. Thus this species of Ziphioid Whale, as far as our observations in 

 New Zealand go, stands apart in this strange habit of life by which, as far 

 as we know at present, both young and aged females are made sufferers, the 

 form and peculiar position of the teeth in front of the protruding lower jaw, 

 making these savage attacks possible. It will be of some interest to obtain 

 a male of the same species, in order to ascertain if it is also covered with 

 similar scars. The outlmes of the right side of the animal were drawn from 

 careful measiu^ements, and the oval and seamed scars conscientiously copied 

 from nature by Mr. T. S. Cousins. 



Finally, I should like to make a few observations on the nomenclature, 

 and the changes proposed. 



There is no doubt that the generic name Epiodon has to give way to 

 Ziphius, but I think it rather premature to follow Dr. Hector's example, and 

 to merge our New Zealand species into the European Ziphius cavirostris 

 of Cuvier, till we possess some more detailed accomits of the form, colour, 

 and anatomical structure of the different species of Ziphius described under 

 various names from other countries. For instance, we know already that 

 the Epiodon australe, of Burmeister, had a light ash-colom^ (ceniza clara), 

 that it was darker on the back, lighter on the belly, and moreover, that its 

 forehead was not swollen. Ejnodon desmarestii, according to Kisso, is steel 

 grey, with numerous irregular white streaks, beneath white, head not 

 swollen, ending in a long nose. Consequently, in both these well-described 

 species, there is considerable difference in their appearance when compared 

 with the New Zealand Ziphius, a difference which certainly is of some 

 specific value, and ought not to be set aside without good cause being shown 

 to the contrary. 



Li plate Vni., h is the vent, c the pudendum, and d the fold. 



Art. XXII. — On the Occurrence of the Red-capped Dotterel (Hiaticula rufi- 

 capiUa) in New Zealand. By T. W. Kirk, Assistant in the Colonial 

 Museum. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 11th October, 1879.] 



I HAVE much pleasure in laying before the Society a fine specimen of the 

 Eed-capped Dotterel, which was obtained in December last on the beach 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst., Vol. X., p. 338. 



