BY A. J. NORTH. 397 



II. Notes on the Nesting-place and Eggs of Cyanorhamplms 

 rayneri, G. R. Gray. 



Cyanorhamphus rayneri, the Norfolk Island Red-fronted 

 Parrakeet. 



Plalycercus raynen, G. R. Gray, Ibis, 1862, p. 228, 



This Parrakeet is somewhat similar to the Red-fronted Parra- 

 keet, C. novce-zealandke, of New Zealand, a species which is sub- 

 ject to considerable variation in colour and size, of which it 

 appears to be an insular form differing only from 0. novcH-zealancUfe 

 in the extent of the red band on the forehead, its larger 

 admeasurements, and having a more robust bill. Sir Walter 

 Buller, who has examined the types of sevei'al of these insular 

 forms of C. novce-zealandice in the British Museum, and which 

 have been described by various authors as distinct species, while 

 admitting and pointing out their variation in colours and size in 

 his second edition of the Birds of New Zealand,* follows in the 

 fuotsteps of Dr. Finsch in his well-known work on the Psittaci'f, and 

 includes the following under the synonymy of C. novce-zealandice ; 

 C. erythrotis, "VVagl., from Macquarie Island, C. aucklandicuSy 

 Bonap., from the Auckland Islands, C. rayneri^ G. R. Gray, from 

 Norfolk Island, and C. cooki, G. R. Gray, from New Zealand, 

 Sir W. Buller separating and retaining only a smaller I'ace of 

 C. novce-zealandice described by himself in the Transactions of 

 the New Zealand Institute, Vol. vii. p. 220, 1874, under the 

 name of Platycercus roicleyi. 



Count Salvadori, however, in the recently issued " British 

 Museum Catalogue," keeps all these forms separate and distinct,;}; 

 with the exception of C. rayneri, of which he writes, " there is 

 no doubt whatever as to P. rayneri, Gray, being the same as 

 C. cooki" and has furthermore distinguished the specimens obtained 



* Buller, Bh-ds of New Zealand, 2nd Edit., p. 145 (1888). 



+ Finsch, Die Papa,g. Vol. ii. p. 273 (1868). 

 X V^ol. NX. Catalogue of the Psittaci, by T. Salvadori, 1891. 



