No. 1.] THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD 19 



that in the adult of 27 ; the nail in the downy nestling 

 is just one-third the length of the culmen, whereas in 

 P. a. gavia it is about one half, a difference in proportion 

 which constitutes a great distinction in this group. 



PuPFTNUS ASSiMiLis GAVIA (Forster). 



I was perplexed to see the breeding-dates of this bird 

 on Hauturu Island. On Norfolk Island, the Kermadecs, 

 and also West Australia, the species breeds in the winter 

 months (July, etc.), yet here the paired adults were 

 collected in November, and the downy nestling just 

 hatched in January. Reischek had recorded this fact, 

 and the dated specimens prove it. 



The series also averaged larger than Kermadec birds, 

 with a longer metatarsus, and also showed the blue 

 upper portion of the lores mentioned by Mathews 

 (I.e., p. 62). 



PUFFINUS CARNEIPES CARBONARIUS MathewS. 



In the Birds of Australia, Vol. II., p. 89 et seq., 1912, 

 Mathews has separated the Norfolk Island form of this 

 species as P. c. Jiullianus, and reprinted the description 

 prepared by Solander of a New Zealand killed specimen. 



A fine series was collected by Reischek on Karewa 

 Island, and quaintly labelled " Puffinus temcirostris." 

 I write " quaintly," as this species has a heavy bill, as 

 will hereafter be noted. 



The measurements read — 

 ^ cul. 44-45, wing 319-321, metatarsus 53-54. 

 2 „ 41-43, „ 320-322 „ 50.5-52. 



These read somewhat peculiarly as they point to the 

 males having a longer bill and longer tarsus, though 

 exactly the same wing-length, as females. 



This species has been commonly and consistently 

 placed in Puffinus, though we read in Mathew's account 

 that Solander noted " media inter Nectres & Procellarias,'' 

 where Nectris was used for the thin-billed Puffinus. 



The juveniles collected by Reischek show that we 

 have another instance similar to that of Pterodroma and 



b2 



