Okdek IMPENNES.] 
[Fam. SPHENISCID^. 
EUDYPTULA MINOR 
(BLUE PENCJUIN.) 
Little Penguin, Lath. Gen. Syn. hi. pt. 2, p. 572, pi. chi. (1785). 
Aptenodyfa minor, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 558 (1788, ex Lath.). 
Catarrhactes minor, Cuv. Regn. An. i. p. 513 (1817). 
Chrysocoma minor, Steph. Gen. Zool. xih. p. 61 (1825). 
Spheniscus minor. Gray, in Dieff. Trav. h., App. p. 199 (1843). 
Aptenodytes minor, Forst. Descr. An. p. 101 (1844). 
Eudyptula minor, Bonap. C. K. xlh. p. 775 (1856). 
Eudyptila minor. Gray, Hand-1, of B. hi. p. 99 (1871). 
Eudyptula albosignata, Finsch, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 207. 
Native name. — Korora. 
Ad. suprk obscure cyanescens : subtus argentescenti-albus : facie laterali brunnescente lavata : ala sordide cinerei, 
albo marginatd et latius apicatd ; rostro cyanescenti-cano, culmine saturatiore : pedibus carneo-albidis, mem- 
branis interdigitalibus brunnescenti-nigris : iride flavicanti-canS,. 
Adult. Crown of the head, hind part of neck, and all the upper surface, as well as the thighs, light blue, with a 
black line down the centre of each feather j sides of the head dark grey ; throat, fore neck, and all the under- 
parts silvery white ; upper surface of flippers black, tinged with blue, and margined with white along the 
inner edges ; under surface yellowish white, with a dark grey spot near the extremity. Irides yellowish 
grey, with a brownish margin; hill bluish grey, darker on the ridge; feet flesh- white, the soles, webs, 
and claws brownish black. Total length 19 inches ; extent of flippers 14 ; length of flipper 5 ; bill, along the 
ridge 1‘75, along the edge of lower mandible 2; tarsus 1 ; middle toe and claw 2‘5. 
Nestling. In the downy condition the young are blackish brown on the upper and white on the under surface ; hut 
they assume the adult colours before leaving the nest. 
Remarks. I have already stated * my reasons for considering Eudyptula albosignata a mere variety of Eudyptula 
minor, but Dr. Finsch still believes in its validity as a species. The only differences pointed out by the 
learned doctor are : a patch of white on the upper tail-coverts, and a strongly marked peculiarity in the 
coloration of the flippers. These characters appear to me wholly insufiicient, and I feel sure that on 
examination of a series of specimens Dr. Finsch would himself relinquish the species. The white marking 
on the wing is certainly peculiar, but it has an indeterminate character, and I find that in recognized 
examples of E. minor there is a tendency for the white to spread on the inner margin. In the type of 
E. albosignata it expands upwards at the flexure and forms a square patch about three quarters of an inch 
in extent, but on its further edge there is a broken connection with the broad white hand which forms the 
outer margin of the wing. In another specimen I find a similar white mark, but only one third the size of 
the former, and very broadly separated from the white margin above. In ordinary examples of E. minor 
there is merely a notch in the blue at the inner flexure of the wing and no extension of the white ; but this 
character is, in my opinion, too variable to be of any value whatever in the differentiation of allied species, 
and the white on the upper tail-coverts is obviously accidental. 
* Trans. N.-Z. Inst. vol. vii. p. 210. 
