Ornithology of New Zealand. 119 
ment against it is, that cc unless the bird is also furnished with 
some means of seeing round a corner, it would not be able to 
see the insect it wanted to catch;" but an essential part of 
his own theory of the use of the bent bill is that it enables 
the bird “ to search over a greater extent of algse for creatures 
that it could not see, than if it used only the point of the bill." 
Nycticorax caledonicus. 
Captain Hutton acknowledges that his only reason for re¬ 
cording this species as occurring in both islands was that he 
“ somehow got the idea into his head." Statements made in 
this loose and unscientific manner are not very creditable to 
a professed naturalist. My specimen of Nycticorax cale¬ 
donicus was obtained in the North Island ; and I heard of two 
instances of the occurrence of this bird at Hokitika, in the 
South Island. This was my authority for including the species 
in my work; and Captain Hutton is therefore mistaken in 
supposingThat his ‘ Catalogue 9 had led me astray. 
I did not give any particulars of locality &c. when I handed 
my collection of New-Zealand birds over to the Colonial Mu¬ 
seum; but a number was affixed to each specimen corre¬ 
sponding to that on my list. With Dr. Hector's concurrence, 
and for obvious reasons, all further information was reserved 
for my own work, then in course of preparation. 
Larus bulleri. 
Although this bird may sometimes form a rude nest of dried 
bents, it usually deposits its eggs on the ground; so also does 
Larus scopulinus. 
Diomedea melanophrys. 
I had unfortunately overlooked Captain Hutton's paper, or 
would certainly have quoted it, especially as it qualifies his 
former statement (Ibis, 1865, p. 278) that D. melanophrys is 
<( quite diurnal in its habits." 
Pelecanoides urinatrix. 
I still think that “ a rapid fluttering movement along the 
surface of the water " correctly describes the flight of this 
bird. Mr. Gould, in his account of this species, says that 
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