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Vol. 30, pp. 1-2 January 22, 1917 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



A NEW CUCKOO FROM NEW ZEALAND. 

 BY ALEXANDER WETMORE. 



While comparing specimens of Urodynamis taitensis (Sparr- 

 man) it was found that those from New Zealand differ markedly 

 from birds from Polynesia. As there is no name available for 

 this New Zealand race, hitherto unrecognized, it may be known 

 as 



Urodynamis taitensis pheletes subsp. nov. 



Characters. — Similar to Urodynamis taitensis taitensis but more heavily 

 streaked below (especially on the breast and sides of the neck) and with 

 the under parts more buffy. 



Description. — Type, female adult, Catalogue No. 124653, Collection 

 U. S. National Museum, from Otago Province, New Zealand, collector, 

 W. Smythe. Above fuscous black with crossbars on back and wings 

 varying from vinaceous-cinnamon to cinnamon; head and neck streaked 

 with light pinkish cinnamon; tail barred heavily with cinnamon (the 

 dark and light bars equal in width), tipped with white; wing coverts 

 tipped irregularly with white or buff; secondaries and inner primaries 

 tipped with white; superciliary stripe pinkish buff anteriorly, paler 

 behind the eye; under parts white tinged with cream color; breast and 

 sides streaked boldly with long streaks of fuscous black ; flanks and 

 thighs buffy with broad bars of fuscous black ; sides of the neck with 

 broad cinnamon borders on the dark longitudinal streaks, these cinna- 

 mon edgings faintly indicated on the upper breast; throat with faintly 

 indicated cinnamon streaks. 



Measurements (of type). — Wing, 190 mm.; tail, 234; exposed culmen, 

 26; tarsus, 35.5; middle toe with claw, 30. 



Range. — New Zealand. (Specimens examined from Auckland, Rem- 

 uera and the Province of Otago. ) 



Remarks. — The adult of this form is readily distinguished from Urody- 

 namis t. taitensis (from Funafuti, Ellice Islands) by its more buffy and 

 more heavily streaked under parts. Immature birds are much darker 

 and more buffy below than young birds from Fiji and the Samoan 

 Islands. In addition they have the ground color of the back darker. 



1— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. 30, 1917. (1) 



