I 



■ 



Order PBOCELLARIIFORMES.J 



[Family PUFFINIML 



MAJAQUEUS PAHKINSON1. 



(BLACK PETREL.) 



Majaqueus parkinsoni, Gray; Buller, Birds of New Zealand, vol. ii., p. 242. 



Mr. J. Brough, of Nelson, in sending me a skin of this Petrel, furnishes the following 

 notes : " This bird was killed in February on a dividing range between the head of the 

 Heaphy and the Big Eiver. It was found in a hole at the roots of a huge rata, in the 

 midst of dense forest. I am quite satisfied that this bird is the ' Night Demon ' of our 

 diggers. I had a live one some time ago from Collingwood, and I kept it for three months; 

 so I had every opportunity of observing its habits. It was strictly nocturnal, and would 

 never feed by day. On windy nights the bird would become very excited, and then it would 

 give vent to the hysterical laugh or scream from which it takes its name of ' Night Demon.' " 



A specimen in the flesh (adult female) sent to me from Manawatu measured 18 in. in length, 

 and 47 '25 in. in extent of wings. It is often met with at the diggers' camps far inland, in the 

 Westland district, being attracted by the fire at night. A Petrel called Taiko by the Maoris — 

 found in burrows far inland, Bay of Islands— is supposed to be this species. 



Dr. Bamsay states that this Petrel breeds on Lord Howe Island and on the adjacent 

 rocks. But this statement must be taken with reservation, because he treats M. parkinsoni and 

 M. cequinoctialis as synonymous terms ! 



On the 29th April, 1878, at a meeting of the Koyal Society of New South Wales, Mr. 

 Masters exhibited a specimen, shot near Sydney Heads, and remarked that it was the first 

 recorded instance of this Petrel visiting the Australian coast. 



MAJAQUEUS ^EQUINOCTIALIS. 



(STINK-POT PETREL.) 



Majaqueus aBquinoctialis (Linn.), Buller, Trans. N. Z. Inst., vol. xxvii., p. 122. 



I have obtained several specimens of this fine Petrel (adult and young) from the Auckland 

 Islands. The peculiar odour, which is characteristic of all Petrels in life and never entirely quits 

 the dried skin, is very pronounced in this species, and quite justifies the name by which whalers 

 and sailors distinguish it, namely the ■ Stink-pot.' 



Dr. Kidder, in the paper already referred to, gives some interesting particulars respecting it 

 in Kerguelen Island. He says :— 



A single specimen was dug up by the dog on October 12th, from a very deep burrow under a clump of 

 Azorella, but none others were seen until November 15th, when they suddenly appeared in considerable 

 numbers. On December 16th, I dug up specimens with eggs, and frequently thereafter. They nest in very 



