spM^ — ^ — — 



■HHMHI 



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Order CHABADEIIFOEMES.] 



[Family CHABADBIIDtE. 



HIMANTOPUS MELAS. 



(BLACK STILT.) 



Himantopus novae-zealandiae (Gould), Buller, Birds of New Zealand, vol. ii., p. 24. 

 Himantopus melas, Hombr. and Jacq., Ann. Sci. Nat. (2) xvi., p. 320 (1851). 



The Black Stilt, both sexes of which, in the adult summer plamage, are entirely black, is 

 readily distinguishable from all the other members of the group. It frequents the same localities 

 as the Pied Stilt, but is less gregarious in its habits, being generally associated in couples. 



The bright red legs and red eyes, as in the case of HcBmatopus unicolor, present a striking 

 contrast to the black plumage. 



The following is a description of an almost entire albino which I have had an opportunity of 

 examining : The whole of the plumage is white, stained more or less with ash-grey, especially on 

 the upper parts, being darkest on the crown and sides of the head ; among the wing-coverts and 

 in the region of the back a few widely-scattered black feathers ; quills and tail-feathers white 

 freckled with grey ; inner lining of wings dark ash-grey, as on the crown. Bill and feet normal. 



A specimen afterwards came into my hands in which there were scattered white feathers on 

 the foreneck and on all the under parts. 



Mr. J. C. McLean describes (' Ibis,' 1892, pp. 252-3) what he considers a case of interbreeding 

 with Himantopus picatus. He shot the pied bird, and gives a description of it, the black one 

 escaping. The description shows clearly enough that the bird was not H. picatus, but a 

 younger state of H. melas ; and, that being the case, the birds were breeding true. On 

 turning to my description of the young of H. melas, it will be seen that it has the throat and 

 breast white. Dr. Sharpe, after examining a considerable series, writes : " I believe that the 

 back and rump always remain black in the young bird."* Mr. McLean states that in his bird the 

 tail was ashy-black. On this point of interbreeding, I still adhere to the view I advanced in 

 opposition to Mr. Seebohm. I know it is very convenient to overcome a difficulty in plumage 

 by a suggestion of hybridism ; but, although common enough in cases of captivity, according 

 to my experience, hybridism among animals in a wild state is a very rare occurrence. 





m 



& 



HIMANTOPUS ALBICOLLIS. 



(WHITE-NECKED STILT.) 



Himantopus albicollis, Buller, Birds of New Zealand, vol. ii., p. 27. 



I have nothing to add to what I have already put forward in support of this new species. 



* Cat. Birds, B. M., vol. xxiv., p. 324. 



