ON THE BIRDS OF GOUGH ISLAND, SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN. 281 



This specimen is unfortunately unsexecl, but, since the yellow stripes on the 

 head and the black on the throat and lores are brighter than in the female, it is 

 probably a male. 



I have ventured to suggest that this bird is an adult in winter plumage, taking my 

 cue from the fact that a somewhat analogous seasonal change is to be found in the male 

 of Phrygilus melanoderus of the Falklands. I may mention that the adult male of 

 N. goughensis bears a strong resemblance * in colour and markings to the adult male of 

 P. xanthoyrnmmus of the Falklands, in which apparently the various stages of plumage 

 are as yet incompletely known, as are also, unfortunately, those of Nesospiza u<-nnli;i. 



These buntings, with those next to be described, were captured on the low ground 

 bordering the landing-place, where they were mostly observed hopping about on the 

 boulders, stranded wood, and seaweed, a little above high-water mark. They were not 

 so tame as to permit themselves to be caught, but readily allowed an approach to within 

 two or three yards, and then flitted off to a short distance. They were not observed 

 in the ravine running inland, nor on its steep sides. 



Mr Comer (Verrill, t. c., p. 463), alluding to these birds, says that small birds, like 

 sparrows, are very common at Gough Island, and are of two kinds one slatish above, 

 yellowish beneath, and with a round black spot on the breast : the other much like the 

 first, but lacking the black spot ; possibly it is the female. Of the habits he merely 

 remarks that they are very tame and sing. 



2. Nesospiza jessias. 



Jt'rso.<jii:;a ji -suite Kajjle < 'hirke, Hull. Brit. Urn. (.'lull, xv. |>. is. 



Male and Female. General colour orange-buff (brighter on the lower back), streaked 

 with black on the head, back, scapulars, lesser wing-coverts, breast and Hanks ; primaries 

 blackish, narrowly edged with dull yellow ; secondaries and wing-coverts blackish, 

 broadly edged externally with butt' ; rectrices with dusky centres and broad buff margins. 

 Bill and feet blackish. Wing 4'05 inches, tail 3'45, tarsus 1 "2, culmen 0'65. 



In this form the culmen is nearly straight, the gonys is ascending, the first primary 

 is equal to the sixth, and the tail-feathers are lanceolate. In all these respects it 

 differs from N. gougkensis. 



I at first thought that we had in these buff specimens the female and young of the 

 green N. goughensis, but on dissecting specimens it was found that the green birds 

 were of both sexes. There then remained the possibility of the butt' birds being the 

 young of N. goughensis, though differing remarkably in plumage from either parent. 

 An examination of the material, however, disclosed the fact that, although identical 

 in plumage, some specimens were unmistakably immature, while others possessed 

 characters which I interpreted as indications of maturity. In these examples the 

 tendons of the feet were ossified or partially ossified, the fibula was fused to the tibia, 



* See Gould's tijjuiv in Darwin's ]'III/HI/C nf tin Jlengle : Iliril*, ]il;ili' 3'i. 



