BuLLER. — Replies to HuttorSs Notes. 133 



C novce-zealandim ; and when Mr. Potts saw them lie at once recognized them 

 as the eggs of a Stormy Petrel. Both Mi\ H. Travers and myself now believe 

 that they belong to Thcdassidroma fregata. 



" It is the more necessary that I should correct this mistake, as Dr. Buller, 

 in his book (p. 160), states that the egg of C. novce-zealandice is ' 1'5 inch in 

 length by 1*1 in breadth; the surface is smooth without being glossy, and, as 

 a rule, pure white, but sometimes marked with obscure purplish spots at the 

 thicker end,' and, although not given as a quotation, the measurements and 

 latter part of this description must have been taken from my paper in ' The 

 Ibis,' as they correspond entirely with it. The egg of this bird is still a 

 desideratum in collections." 



[My description of the egg of this species was taken from one obtained by 

 me in the Upper Manawatu many years ago. The specimen came into my 

 hands very much broken, and as my measurements were consequently 

 uncertain, I adopted those given by Captain Hutton as from a perfect specimen, 

 never supposing that he coi^ld mistake the egg of a Petrel for that of a Pigeon ! 



The addition " sometimes marked with obscure purplish spots," was on the 

 same unfortunate authority ; for my specimen had no spots whatever, and the 

 natives had always described the egg to me as perfectly white.] 



" OCTDROMUS EARLI. 



" It is much to be regretted that Dr. Buller does not produce better 

 evidence in support of his statement that this bird occasionally breeds with the 

 Barn-door Fowl. It is certainly astonishing that a naturalist should see and 

 ' carefully examine ' several supposed hybrids, and never preserve specimens, 

 nor even take an intelligible description of them, nor ascertain what these 

 supposed hybrids developed into. Dr. Buller cannot expect that other 

 naturalists will accept as true a statement made in such a loose and 

 unscientific manner." 



[Captain Hutton expresses astonishment ' at my not having preserved 

 Dr. Hewson's specimen of the hybrid Wood-hen, and my not having ascertained 

 what it developed into. The bird was promised to me, but unfortunately was 

 shortly afterwards consigned to the pot ; and this put an end both to the 

 specimen and its "development." Captain Hutton quotes me incorrectly in 

 stating that I carefully examined several supposed hybrids.] 



"OCYDROMUS AUSTRALIS. 



" The male bird described by Dr. Buller under this name is 0. troglodytes 

 (Gm.), while the female is the true 0. australis (Sparrm.). These two species 

 are quite distinct, as has been pointed out by Dr. Finsch in the ' Journal fiir 

 Ornithologie,' May, 1872, p. 174, etc. Another species of this genus has been 

 lately received at the Colonial Museum from Otago, which I shall shortly 

 describe." 



