362 Transactions. —Zoology. 



for the rapid diminution of this bird during recent years. It 

 is, however, to be met with in considerable numbers in many 

 localities — -more especially in the Awatere district ; and I have 

 noticed in Picton several small flocks running along the grass- 

 covered streets of that prettily-situated seaport town. 



Pied Fantail {Bhijndura flabellifera, Gml.); Black Fantail 

 (B. fuliginosa, Sparrm.). 



Common ; the former species occurs in the ratio of six to 

 one of the latter. I have seen an albino, having a wing pure 

 white, the reinaining plumage being of the ordinary colouring. 



Orange-wattled Crow (Glaucojns cinerea, Gml.). 

 Occurs in the neighbourhood of Mount Eiley. 



Saddleback {Creadion caruncidatus, Gml.). 



The range of the saddleback is yearly becoming more cir- 

 cumscribed, and it is now confined to a few out-of-way locali- 

 ties, such as Tophouse, on the road to Nelson, and the Sounds 

 district, where it is rare and widely distributed. 



Red-fronted Parrakeet {Platycercus nova-zealandia, Sparrm.); 

 Yellow-fronted Parrakeet (P. auriceps, Kuhl) ; Orange- 

 fronted Parrakeet (P. alpinus, Buller) ; Lesser Red- 

 fronted Parrakeet (P. rowleyi, Buller). 

 The red-fronted bird is the most plentiful, being generally 

 to be met with in all suitable localities. During the year 

 1888, the year of the unprecedented invasion of native rats, 

 hundreds of parrakeets, particularly the first two species^ 

 haunted the neighbourhood of the villages adjacent to the 

 bush and made themselves obnoxious to orchardists, in many 

 instances entirely stripping the trees of their fruit. 



In caged specimens of P. aljjinus the articulation is very 

 indistinct. 



Brown Parrot [Nestor meridionalis, Gml.). 



The kaka was at one time very abundant. A spot was 

 lately pointed out to me along the road to Picton where in 

 former days the natives camped for weeks in order to snare 

 them for winter consumption, where now, alas ! not one is to 

 be found within many miles. 



Long-tailed Cuckoo (Eudynaviis taitensis, Sparrm.); Shining 



Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucid^is, Gml.). 



The first visitants herald their arrival about the third 

 week in October ; and during the latter part of November and 

 December, when the main body appears, they are very plenti- 

 ful, numbers frequenting the plantations near town, depending 

 principally for their means of subsistence upon their persistent 



