136 Transactions. — Zoology. 



" Larus bulleri. 



" This bii-d is, no doubt, identical witli L. pomare. It does not ' deposit its 

 eggs on the ground,' but forms a very good nest." 



[Although this bird may sometimes form a rude nest of dry bents, it 

 usually deposits its eggs on the ground. So also does Larus scopulinus-l 



" DiOMEDEA MELANOPHRYS. 



" Dr. Buller will find more information on the subject of Petrels flying at 

 night in ' The Ibis ' for 1867, p. 192." 



[I had unfortunately overlooked Captain Hutton's paper, or would certainly 

 have quoted it, especially as it qualifies his former statement (' Ibis,' 1865, 

 p. 278) that D. melanojihrys is "quite diurnal in its habits."] 



" Pelecanoides urinatrix. 



" This bird flies very fairly ; and it is quite incorrect to describe it as * a 

 rapid fluttei-ing movement along the surface of the water.' " 



[Mr. Gould, in his account of this species, says that " its flight is a curious 

 fluttering motion, performed so close to the surface that it rarely rises high 

 enough to top the waves, but upon being met by them makes progress by a 

 direct course through instead of over them ;" and Latham states that it 

 congregates in flocks "fluttering upon the surface of the water, or sitting upon 

 it."] 



"PUFFINUS BREVICAUDUS. 



" This bird is not by any means abundant on our coasts; only one specimen 

 has as yet been obtained, which was exhibited by Dr. Buller in the New 

 Zealand Exhibition of 1865. The nesting-places mentioned by Dr. Buller, in 

 the Kaimanawa ranges, and in the Taupo-Patea country, are no doubt those of 

 Procellaria liarldnsoni.''^ 



[My specimen was picked up on the sea beach between Waikanae and 

 Rangitikei, where this bird is often cast ashore. The natives on that coast 

 identified it as the same that breeds in the Kaimanawa and Taupo-Patea 

 ranges. I can hardly think they would confound it with rrocellaria 

 parkiTisoni, which is a very different bird.] 



" PUFFINUS GAVIUS. 



" Dr. Buller gives P. o2nsthomelas (Coues) as a synonym of this species. 

 In this he probably follows me, as he does not say that he has been able to 

 compare it with any typical specimens. But this is another of my mistakes 

 that he has unfortunately adopted without acknowledgment ; for on a further 

 examination I find that our bird always has the tail-coverts pure white, while 

 in P. 02nsthomelas most of them are fuliginous. P. gavius can hardly be said 

 to ' enjoy a wide oceanic range,' when it has never yet been found out of sight 

 of New Zealand." 



