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chin whitish, and the plumage below the eheeks and around the neck lighter than the surrounding parts,, 
giving a slightly hooded appearance to the head when uplifted ; the feathers of the upper surface margined 
with creamy white, producing a speckled effect, the margins of the wing-coverts, however, being darker ; 
the rump and upper tail-coverts white, conspicuously marked with greyish black, each feather being crossed 
by several broad irregular bars, presenting a pretty spotted surface ; the vent and under tail-coverts similarly 
marked ; the quills and tail-feathers slaty black, the latter narrowly tipped with white. Irides and bill black ; 
legs and feet dark brown. 
More advanced state. General plumage dark brownish grey, varied more or less with white. On the head, neck, 
and underparts the grey and white are blended, presenting a mottled appearance ; the feathers composing 
the mantle are barred and margined, and the wing-coverts are margined and vandyked with white ; tlic 
primaries ai’e brownish black and the secondaries dark brown, changing to white at the tips ; the tail- 
feathers are blackish brown, the outermost one on each side spotted on its outer web, and all of them marbled 
towards the base with greyish white ; upper and lower tail-coverts white, conspicuously barred with brown ; 
axillary plumes uniform dark grey. Bill greyish brown, horn-coloured towards the tips of both mandibles ; 
legs and feet dark brown. 
Progress towards maturity. As the change of plumage is gradual, individuals present much diversity in their 
progress towards maturity, the tendency being towards a lighter grey in the ground-colours, with less of the 
spotted character. The following is a description of a well-advanced bird ; — Upper parts dark grey, marked 
and obscurely spotted with white, lighter on the head, neck, and upper tail-coverts ; on the scapulars a 
central spot of black j underparts light grey, mottled with darker ; under tail-coverts white, transversely 
barred with black ; primaries and secondaries black, the latter tipped with white ; tail-feathers black, with a 
narrow terminal mai’k of white. 
During the transitional state, birds are met with in very different conditions of plumage, as the following 
selected examples will show : — 
No. 1. Has the mantle and upper surface of wings mottled grey as in the young bird ; tail blackish 
brown ; rest of the plumage pure white. 
No. 2. Back and interscapular region slaty black as in the adult ; upper surface of wings mottled grey ; 
tail with a tenninal band of black ; rest of the plumage white. 
No. 3. Similar to No. 2 but with a dark tail, and with the plumage of the wings much abraded and faded. 
No. 4. Plumage as in adnlt, but having the head and neck marked all over with lanceolate touches of 
brown ; the first primary with a broad spot of white on its inner web. 
No. 5. Merging into the adult plumage, but retaining all the youthful markings on the wing-coverts. 
No. 6. In adult livery, but with the tail black in its apical portion instead of being white. 
No. 7. Upper suifface as in adult; throat and fore neck white, but the whole of the underparts light 
mottled grey, the line of demarcation across the breast being well defined. 
Nestling. Covered with thick down of a dark ash-grey, varied on the back with dull brown, lighter on the 
underparts ; the head and nape marked with large irregular spots of blackish brown ; irides black ; bill 
black, with a whitish ridge ; feet dark lead-colour. 
Varieties. I have met with one pure albino, with another having a conspicuous white spot on each wing, and a 
third with a broad terminal band of black across the tail. 
An example in the Otago Museum is stained with brown in irregular patches on the face and sides of 
the neck. One which I saw in Auckland harbour, in March, was in the greyish- white transition plumage, 
with a black tail and pure white back and rump, and exhibited a broad white spot on each wing. 
Another which I observed in Wellington harbour had what appeared to be a narrow pectoral band of blackish 
brown forming a conspicuous zone. And on four occasions I have seen, on different parts of the coast, an 
apparently adult bird with a dark fore neck and breast, as described above, the dark colour being, in one 
instance at least, as sharply defined as on the breast of a Wood-Pigeon. One pair in particular, which I scanned 
closely through a strong binocular, followed our steamer for many miles between Napier and Wellington; 
they left us as we entered the heads, although several others in the ordinary plumage followed us in. One 
of the former had the whole of the upper surface brownish black, except the rump, upper tail-coverts, and 
