184 



eludes pursuit by diving. Its food appears to consist of aquatic insects and small freshwater 

 mollusks. Very little is at present known of its breeding-habits ; but it may be safely inferred 

 that they are in no respect different from those of the closely allied species (0. palitstris) inha- 

 biting Australia. 



A broken specimen of the egg of this species, recently brought by Mr. Henry Travers from 

 the Chatham Islands, is described by Hutton as -77 inch in breadth, of an olive-brown colour, 

 and highly polished. 



