No. 5.] THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD 113 



NOTES ON SOME BIRDS FROM THE 



KERMADEC ISLANDS. 



By G. M. Mathews and Tom Iredale. 



A COLLECTION of birds made at the Kermadec Islands 

 by Mr. King Bell was secured by Mr. W. R. B. OUver, 

 and a selection was obtained by Mr. G. M. Mathews 

 when out in Austraha. Mr. Oliver had recognised 

 the strangeness of a Petrel hitherto unknown from the 

 Group, and had concluded its relationship was mth 

 Mstrelata rostrata (Peale). As it was quite impossible 

 to determine the form in New Zealand he courteously, 

 in the cause of ornithological science, allowed Mr. 

 Mathews to acquire this specimen. Examination shows 

 that it is a representative of quite a distinct species, 

 and we therefore diagnose it here as 



^strelata oliveri, sp. n. 



This species is nearest to ^. parvirostris in general 

 appearance but of quite a different coloration above. 

 The coloration in that species is black with a brown 

 shade, while in the new species it is dark dull bluish- 

 black : the blue predominates, whereas in A. parvirostris 

 the black is the prevaihng colour. In the latter the 

 under wing coloration is uniform, while JE. oliveri has 

 the inside wing hning composed of white feathers. 

 We do not know whether it breeds at the Kermadecs, 

 but there is quite such a possibility. 



Habitat, Kermadec Islands. 



Type in Coll. G. M. Mathews. 



Prosthemadera nov^seelandl^ kermadecensis, 

 subsp. n. 



Differs from P. n. phoebe Kemp, from the North 

 Island of New Zealand, in its larger size and absolutely 

 paler coloration throughout, the head being very pale 

 glossy green, the back pallid brown, the abdomen 



