Art. XIII.—Brief Ornithological Notes.

By T. W. Kirk, F.L.S.

[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 26th July, 1893.]

Carpophaga novæ-zealandiæ (Wood-pigeon).

Quite a number of instances of abnormal colouring in this handsome species have been recorded, but so far only two pure albinos. The first was exhibited by myself before a meeting of this society in 1879, and a description appears in the Transactions of that year. The specimen is now in the mounted collection in the Colonial Museum, and is the one referred to in the second edition of the “History of the Birds of New Zealand.”

The second was noted last year by the author of the work just mentioned, Sir W. Buller, and is preserved in Mr. Drew's museum at Wanganui.

I have now to exhibit a mounted specimen obtained three weeks ago in the Wairarapa. It will be seen that, though somewhat damaged and badly stained with blood, the whole plumage, even to the shafts of the feathers, is pure white.

Prosthemadera novæ-zealandiæ (Tui—Parson Bird).

There is in the Museum a specimen of this bird showing a most remarkable variation from the type. The general plumage is pure white, with a black band on the lores, forehead, and on each side of the neck. The wings are pure white, except the outer secondaries and the primary coverts, which are black.

I recently had an opportunity of examining a skin, found on the hills at Wai-nui-o-mata, which was in general appearance even more remarkable. The head, neck, and body were quite white; the tail, except the middle feathers, black, with a broad terminal band of white, as in the Huia (Heteralocha acutirostris), the middle tail-feathers white. The wings were smoky-black above, with a few cream-coloured feathers on the underside. Unfortunately the specimen was in such a condition when found that preservation was quite out of the question.

Nycticorax caledonicus (Nankeen—Night Heron).

Some time ago I mentioned having seen an example of this species on the east coast of the Wellington Province, near the Pahau River. Last Christmas I again saw this bird, but a few miles further north, and was informed that it had several times been observed, but always alone.