Walsh. — A Bare Saurian. 351 



Graucalus melanops. 

 G. melanops, Vigors and Horsford ; Buller, " Birds of New Zea- 

 land," 1st ed. p. 148, 2nd ed. vol. i. p. 66 ; Cat. Birds in 

 British Museum, vol. iv., p. 30. Colluricincla concinna, 

 Hutton, Cat. Birds of New Zealand, p. 15 (1871). 

 Light ash-grey ; abdomen and lower tail-coverts white ; a 

 broad band of black from the bill through the eye. The two 

 middle tail - feathers dark - grey, lateral ones brownish-black, 

 tipped with white. Quills brownish-black, the outer webs edged 

 with white. Bill and legs black. Length of the wing, 8 in. ; 

 of the tarsus, 1*1 in. In the adult bird the forehead, sides of 

 the face and neck, the throat and fore-neck, are black, with a 

 greenish gloss. 



The immature bird from Australia is described as having wavy 

 bars of dusky black on the throat, but there are none on any of 

 the three New Zealand examples which I have seen. 



Art. XXXIII. — A Rare Saurian. 

 By Archdeacon Walsh. 



[Bead before the Auckland Institute, 12th September, 1904.] 

 From time to time over a number of years reports have been 

 brought in by surveyors, bushmen, and others of the existence 

 of a large lizard on the Waoku Plateau. This is an extensive 

 tableland, about 2,000 ft. above sea-level, lying between the 

 Hokianga and Kaipara districts. It is covered with forest, and 

 here and there are several shallow lagoons. It is about these 

 lagoons that the lizard is supposed to make its home. 



So far as I am aware, no specimens have been captured ; or, 

 if they have, they have not been preserved. A dead specimen 

 was, however, washed down the Waima Creek, a stream leading 

 from the plateau, about thirty-five years ago, on the occasion 

 of the hahunga or official reinterment of the bones of Arama 

 Karaka, when it was seen by several European visitors, and 

 was recognised bv the Maoris, who were much frightened at its 

 appearance. Being in a partly decomposed condition, however, 

 no attempt, I believe, was made at preservation. From the 

 appearance of this specimen, and from such other slight details 

 as have been gathered from the reports above mentioned, it has 

 been concluded, I understand, that the animal is a species of 

 salamander hitherto undescribed. 



As I have occasional opportunities of visiting the neighbour- 

 hood of the Waoku Plateau, as well as the Waima Valley, where 

 the decomposed specimen was seen, I have made it my business 

 to seek for any information that was to be had on the subject. 



