12 



them since. When observed these birds were always in company with about a dozen Spoonbill 

 Ducks." 



I am indebted to Captain Mair for another partial albino of this species, which was shot by 

 him on a lagoon near the Manawatu Eiver. It has the forehead, sides of the head, nape, and 

 hind-neck white: shoulders and mantle having white feathers intermixed with the brown, the former 

 preponderating ; rest of the plumage normal. 



A specimen which passed through my hands some time ago (now in the Eothschild Museum) 

 has the sides of the head, crown, nape, and upper part of neck pure white, varied only by 

 irregular patches of brown extending from the base of the upper mandible to the eyes, and thence 

 across the vertex. Most of the small wing-coverts, also one secondary and one primary in each 

 wing, are pure white ; there are also touches of white near the tips of the other quills. The rest 

 of the plumage is normal, except that the margins of the dorsal feathers are somewhat lighter than 

 in ordinary birds. 



Hearing from Mr. Brough, of Nelson, of the capture of a " Crested Teal," I was naturally 

 anxious to see it, and, through his kind assistance, the specimen was sent over for my inspection. 

 It turned out to be Elasmonetta chlorotis in a condition of partial albinism, the head being largely 

 marked with white. But the curious thing is that, by a freak of nature, there is a well- 

 developed " top-knot " of feathers on the hind part of the head standing fully half an inch above 

 the surrounding plumage. This top-knot, which extends forward into a line with the eyes, 

 is white, with some irregular splashes of brownish-black, and the vertex and cheeks are also more 

 or less variegated with white. The rest of the plumage is normal, the rounded spots on the 

 breast and under-parts being particularly prominent, and the white edging on the speculum very 

 conspicuous ; and there is a creamy-white ring encircling the neck. I published a drawing of it 

 in the ' Transactions N.Z. Institute,' vol. xxix., plate xi. 



On the occasion of a visit to the Manawatu Gorge, I saw, in broad sunshine, a pair of these 

 Ducks disporting themselves in a dark pool overhung with tree-ferns and other vegetation. But, 

 as a rule, they remain in retirement during the day and come out at dusk. A Eangitikei corre- 

 spondent informs me that this Teal has almost disappeared from that district. He adds : " As soon 

 as they come out from their haunts, under the raupo in the swamps, they get shot. They are too 

 simple for the changed times, and are fast succumbing to the inevitable. At the end of October 

 I saw a brood of them, nearly full-grown." The last pair I obtained were shot by one of my sons 

 at Ohau. These were forwarded, in spirit, to Professor Newton, and enabled him to make an 

 interesting discovery as to the affinities of this form with Nesonetta auchlandica. 



Nestling. — A specimen in the Wanganui Museum has the head, neck and general upper 

 surface blackish-brown with lighter shaft-tips ; line round the eyes, throat, abdomen and vent, 

 yellowish-brown. Bill dark brown, with pale brown spot at tip of upper mandible. There is an 

 indistinct line of pale brown on the outer edge of each wing, and an obscure spot of the same 

 on each side of the rump, with a still more obscure one behind the insertion of each wing. Feet 

 dark brown. 



Progress towards maturity .—Another specimen in the same collection, half-grown but still 

 unfledged, has the spots on the upper surface larger and more pronounced; plumage of the 

 upper parts darker, and that of the under parts generally lighter than in the nestling described 

 above ; tail one inch long, upcurved and fluffy ; a distinct streak of brown through each eye. 



Obs.— The young male has generally lighter plumage than the adult bird, and entirely lacks 

 the rich vermiculation on the sides of the body and flanks. The head and neck, while darker 

 than the rest of the plumage, have none of the metallic lustre characteristic of the adult male. 

 The eyes have a narrow circlet of white as in the adult female. The breast exhibits the brown 

 spots of the adult, but the ground colour is several shades lighter, and lacks the bright chestnut 



