29 
^ shoulders, and the tail-feathers instead of being black are ashy white, the outer ones having a broad subapical mark 
on the axillary plumes, under the wings, instead of being black are pure white ; there are fewer light margins 
differ inferior primaries and the secondaries are more largely tipped with white. Some of these 
ces, however, may be due to the fact that this is a somewhat older bird. In the other specimens, mentioned above, the 
ars are black, as in the young of II. leueocej}halus. 
Were k'l ^ contains nine perfectly black specimens. Of these eight are males ; and, according to the labels, all of them 
both ^ 10 summer. Out of twelve other specimens more or less pied with white, only three are females, all of them (of 
xes) being also summer birds. The extent of white, liowever, varies considerably in birds shot at one and the same time, 
xhibiting only a few white feathers on the neck and breast, whilst in others the white predominates. This irregularity 
^ P a^e may perhaps be accounted for on the supposition that the birds do not undergo the complete change at their first 
sona moult, but at some later period — say in their second or third year. 
There are two specimens in the collection which are of more than ordinary interest, because they are quite distinct in 
PP arance from either If. leucocephalm or H. novee zealandice in their full plumage, and cannot, so far as I at present see, be a 
1 b 1 state of either of those species. One of these, presented to the Museum by the late Dr. Barker, bears the following 
e , Orari, Feb. 16, 1872, male,’ and appears to be in full adult plumage. The other, which is labelled ‘ Saltwater Creek, 
1 tt^ is apparently a less matured bird. On observing certain indications of a change from black to white in the 
^ 6V, I at first supposed that the white head and neck might represent the true winter plumage of Iliraantopus novee zealandim ; 
) as directly opposed to this view. Dr. Barker’s specimen, which I am disposed to regard as a distinct species, was killed 
8 the end of summer. In this bird the entire head and neck, with the breast and underparts, are pure white ; rump and 
Pier tail coverts also white ; back, scapulars, and upper surface of wings and tail glossy black, the inferior primaries and the 
oudaiies tipped with white ; under surface of wings and the axillary plumes black. 
... selecting a specific name for this bird 1 have adopted that of H. albieollis, because it exactly expresses the feature which 
others, namely, its having the neck entirely white. The same name was applied to a Stilt-Plover 
y leillot, but this has proved to be only a synonym of II. autumnalis and the title is therefore free again. 
e senes of specimens under consideration is unfortunately very deficient in examples killed in winter, and the exami- 
nation of tho subject therefore has not been as complete or exhaustive as I would wish ; but two points at any rate have been 
gained, namely the elimination from our list of Himantopus spieatns (which proves to be no species at all) and the placing on 
recoid of a hitherto undescribed form — the White-necked Stilt — which, so far as our present evidence goes, is a good and valid 
species. To my mind it is perfectly clear that it is either II. novee zealandice in the mature winter plumage, hitherto unknown, 
or it is a distinct species ; and if Dr. Barker’s specimen is rightly labelled as killed in summer, that fact alone is sufficient to 
disprove the former assumption.” 
rile late Dr. Jerdon wrote thus (Ibis, 1865, p. 35) of Simantopus leucocephalus : — “Examples 
of this bird quite similar to those figured in the ‘ Birds of Australia,’ and to others which I have seen 
from this region, are not unfrequently obtainable in Lower Bengal in the same flocks with the 
common H. cand^dus (seu melanopterus). Great numbers of Longshanks are brought to the Calcutta 
provision-bazaar, often several dozens of them of a morning, during the season of their stay. Of 
these the great majority have a sooty-brown occiput, which changes to black a.t the approach of the 
reec ing-season ; but occasionally one then occurs with a purely white head and neck, or with more 
or less black down the nape, sometimes a mere trace of it, and sometimes the black nape is well 
eve oped (though never to the extent that is constant in the American species), and this may or may 
not be accompanied by the black occiput. I have also seen purely white-headed and white-naped 
specimens from Egypt, and one male from that country with just an indication of the dark nape ; 
theie is one with black nape and occiput among the British-killed specimens in the British Museum, 
and I have seen others like it from Europe and North Africa. Whether the leucocephalus type be 
constant in Australia remains to be ascertained ; and the most likely explanation of this extraordinary 
and anomalous variation is, that differentiated races of this bird have more or less commingled, 
lost assuredly it can neither be referred to difference of age nor of season.” 
Mhether this interbreeding has actually occurred in New Zealand I am not in a position to say ; 
ut it may be well to remember that instances of apparent hybridism between the Black and Pied 
yster-catchers (quite a parallel case) are not uncommon. In January, 1886, I saw on the ocean-beach 
^ etween Whakatane and Matata, a beautiful Pied Oyster-catcher paired with a perfectly black one. 
Ihe nesting-season was far advanced and these birds were without doubt breeding together. 
