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straggling black feathers on the wings, hack, and rump, and the under surface of the quills is mottled with 
grey. The primaries and secondaries, it may be further mentioned, are much abraded or worn on both sides 
of the shaft. 
An example obtained by Mr. Hamilton at Petane in July 1884, and presented to the Hawke’s Bay 
Museum, is very remarkable : — Plumage blaek ; the head, whole of the fore neck, breast, and underparts 
variegated with pure white feathers, giving the bird a pied or mottled appearance, the white slightly 
preponderating, and becoming dominant towards the base of both mandibles ; the flanks, abdomen, and under 
tail-eoverts sooty black, without any white feathers ; mantle, back, rump, and upper surfaee of wings and 
tail satiny black, with greenish reflections. The specimen is marked ? , and the condition of the legs 
indicates that it is an adult. 
Tn the Canterbury Museum there is another (marked $ ) with scattered white feathers all over the 
underparts ; another with white markings on the face and fore neck (no sex given) ; and two others (both cj ) 
altogether blaek. 
Ods. The sexes are alike ; but the summer plumage in the female has less gloss on the wings and tail, and a 
stronger tinge of brown on the underparts. 
Iwo examples in the Auckland Museum, both in adult condition (the tarsi being fully developed), 
appear to be in transitional states of plumage: — 
No. 1 has the head and neck white, clouded on the crown and hind neck with grey, these clouded 
maikings becoming confluent and darker around the eyes ; underparts white, clouded and marked on the 
thighs, vent, and under tail-coverts with slaty grey; mantle and upper surface of wings black; back and 
rump white. 
No. 2 has the head and neck more thickly clouded, tlie ear-coverts and region of the eyes being entirely 
slaty brown ; breast, and underparts as far as the flanks, white ; thighs, lower part of abdomen, and under 
tail-coverts black ; upper surface as in No. 1. 
Three other specimens in transitional plumage (from winter to summer) are now before me : — 
No. 1 has the forehead and chin pure wdiite ; the crown, lores, face, neck all round, and all the under 
surface black and white intermixed, the former preponderating on the sides, flanks, and abdomen ; lining of 
wings and axillary plumes black, each feather minutely tipped with white ; back, rump, and upper surface of 
Wings and tail shining greenish black, the remnants of the old plumage on the wings dull blackish brown ; a 
few straggling white feathers mingled with the black upper tail-coverts. Bill black, changing to brown at 
the base; legs reddish yellow. 
No. 2 has the general plumage black, the sides of the head and neck all round marked with numerous 
white feathers ; lower part of fore neck wholly white ; on the breast two or three scattered white feathers. 
No. 3 is black with much less white than the former, this being confined to straggling feathers on the 
neck, shoulders, breast, sides of the body, and under tail-coverts. This bird measures : — Length 14 inches; 
wing, from flexure, 9‘25 ; tail 3; tarsus 3'75 ; bill along the ridge 2‘6. 
In a decidedly young bird received from Otago the head and neck are entirely white with a mark of grey 
on the vertex ; lower part of hind neck and shoulders mottled with grey ; wing-coverts and scapulars 
brownish black, minutely margined with pale brown ; rump and tail white, the latter faintly washed with 
gvey. In another young bird, received from Canterbury, the crown, sides of the head, and nape are washed 
with blackish grey, which is darkest on the vertex. 
Another adult specimen in my own collection has the crown and sides of the head mottled and clouded 
with black ; the white collar irregular and somewhat splashed with black. 
Remarks. Owing to the many transitional states of plumage in which this bird is found, both in its progress 
towards maturity and in its seasonal changes of dress, it is the popular belief that there are two species of 
Black Stilt in New Zealand distinct from the well-known Hima.ntopus leucocephalus ; and this view has been 
adopted in Hutton’s ‘ Catalogue,’ where the true H. novae sealandim is first described in its winter plumage, 
and then, under another name (H. melas), in its black summer garb. But this supposed other species has 
no real existence. Dr. Finsch, in his remarks on a collection of skins received from Dr. Haast, states 
(Journal fiir Ornithologie, 1870, p. 349) that a bird labelled Himanlopus novce-zealandioB, first year’s 
plumage,’ proved, on examination, to be a mature example of H. leucocephalus, readily distinguished by its 
longer tibia and tarsus, from which accidental mistake he seems to infer that Haast is wrong in his description 
VOL. II. P 
