1893.] ON PETEELS FROM THE KEEMADEC ISLANDS. 749 



J 3. On a Collection of Petrels from the Kermadec Islands. 

 By Captain P. W. Hutton, F.E.S., C.M.Z.S., Curator 

 of the Canterbury Museum, New Zealand. 



[Eeceived June 22, 1893.] 



(Kate LXIII.) 



Mr. T. F. Cheeseman, P.L.S., Curator of the Auckland Museum, 

 very kindly sent me early in this year a collection of Petrels made 

 in the Kermadec Islands at various times between 1887 and 1891, 

 which contains examples of a species apparently new to science, 

 and is of considerable interest in other respects. The information 

 which I possess is, however, tantalizing, as it suggests several 

 questions on the variation of species without giving full answers 

 to them. These questions, which wiU be mentioned presently, 

 could probably be ans\Aered if we knew with certainty (1) whether 

 the two parents are always of the same colour ; (2) whether the 

 young bird always resembles its parents in plumage or whether 

 there is considerable A^'ariation between parents and offspnng ; 

 and (3) whether unicolour parents ever produce bicolour young 

 or vice versa. 



In the descriptions which follow the length of the bill is that of 

 the chord of the culmen, as used by Dr. Coues, and the length of 

 the middle toe does not include the nail. It seems to me that 

 these are the most accurate measurements that can be taken of 

 the bill and toe. 



: PuirrNTJS CBXOEOEHYNOHFS. 



P. clilororTiynclms, Lesson ; Salvin, Ibis, 1888, p. 352 ; Puller, 

 Birds of N. Z. 2nd ed. vol. ii. p. 235. 



P. sphenurus, Gould. 



P. carneipes, Cheeseman (fide BuUer), Trans. N. Z. Inst. 

 vol. xxiii. p. 226, not of Gould. 



There are five specimens in the collection, aU of which are larger 

 than those from any other locality which I can find recorded, as 

 the following measurements will show. Length 18*5 inches, 

 wing 12-75, tail 6-5, bill 1-65, tarsus 1-9, mid toe 2-2. 



Called the " Black Burrower " by the settlers. " It arrives in 

 the month of October in cch year, often in very large numbers. 

 It digs out burrows, often several feet in length, on the edges of 

 the cliffs, or on the margins of inland terraces" {Cheeseman). I 

 have seen no specimen of this species from New Zealand. 



•4-PUPFINUS TBNUIEOSTEIS. 



p. tenuirostris, Temm. ; BuUer, Birds of N. Z. 2nd ed. vol. ii. p 230. 

 Nectris brevicaudus, Bonap. 



One specimen. Length 15 inches, wing 10-75, tail 4-25, bill 

 1*2, tarsus 1-9, mid toe 2-1. 



In addition to the slender bill and short tail, this species can be 



