Crown of the head, back and wing-coverts deep sea- 

 green ; ]ower part of back, tail-coverts, and a broad line 

 from the eye to the hind head, vcrditer-grcen ; quills and 

 tail black, more or less margined with bright blue ; broad 

 collar round the neck white, slightly tinged with buff, and 

 some of the leathers narrowly mai'gined with black, which 

 colour also forms a half collar both above and below the 

 white one ; breast and all the under surface rufous white, 

 the feathers of the breast slightly margined with black. 



Bill black, lower part of the under mandible white. 



Total length, J)f inches ; bill, 25- inches ; wings 4 inch- 

 es ; tarsi, C lines. 



" Habitat in insula Australi Novae Zeelandia3, victitat 

 pisciculis, hclicibus, chamis et cancris littore ab a3stu ma- 

 ris relictis ; Forsler. 



The native name of this bird has been variously given 

 by different authors, viz., Ghotarre, Kotoretare, Kotaritari, 

 Kotare-popo. 



The Expedition's specimen was marked as from the Bay 

 of Islands. 



Halcyon cinnamominus. 



Halcyon cinnamominus, Swains. Zool. Illustr. ii. pi. 

 67. Voy. de la Coqu. Zool. i. /). 696. 



Delicate fawn colour; back, wings and tail changeable 

 blue green; ears sea green and dusky, united to a narrow 

 black nuchal collar. 



Length, 10 inches; bill from ga])e, 2^ inches; wings, 4 

 inches. 



This species was originally recorded by Mr. Swainson 

 as from New Zealand ; Mr. Gould considers it as an Aus- 

 tralian species ; while M. Lesson remarks that " Get oi- 

 seau parait habiter toutes les parties boreales et orientales 

 de la Nouvello Hollande, les iles de la Nouvelle Zelande, 

 de la Caledonie, des Hebrides, de Salomon, la Nouvelle 

 Guiuee et les Moluques." 



Family, Upcpid^. 



Subfamily 1. UpupiiKe. 



Neomorpha Godldu. 



Neomoqjha acutirostris, et N. crassirostris, Gould, Syn. 

 Austr. Birds : Birds of Australia, pt. \ii. pi. 



N. Gouldii, G. R. Gray, List of Genera of Birds, 2nd 

 edit. p. 15. 



Uniform black, glossed with green, with a broad band 

 of white at the end of the tail. Each gape furnished with 

 a rounded orange wattle. 



Length, 1 foot 9^^ inches ; bill from gape, 4 inches 3 

 lines ; wings, 8 inches 3 lines ; tarsi, 3 inches 2 lines. 



Length, 1 foot 7j inches ; bill from gape, 2 inches 3 

 lines ; wings, 8 inches ; tarsi, 3 inches 2 lines. 



Through information furnished by a friend of Mr. Gould, 

 we learn that " these birds, which the natives call Elba 

 (or Huia), are confined to the hills in the neighbourhood 

 of Port Nicholson [i. e. the Torirua range of mountains], 

 whence the feathers of the tail, which are in great request 

 among the natives [being highly prized as ornaments for 

 the ear], are sent as presents to all parts of the island. 

 The natives regard the bird with the straight and stout 



beak as the male, and the other as the female. In three 

 specimens shot this was the case, and both birds are al- 

 ways together. These fine birds can only be obtained 

 with the help of a native, wlio calls them with a shrill and 

 long-continued whistle, resembling the sound of the native 

 name of the species. After an extensive journey in the 

 hilly forest in search of them, I had at last the pleasure of 

 seeing four alight on the lower branches of the trees near 

 which the native accompanying me stood. They came 

 quick as lightning, descending from branch to branch, 

 spreading out the tail, and throwing up the wings. Their 

 food consists of seeds and insects. Of their mode of 

 nidification the natives could give no information. Tlie 

 species is apparently becoming scarce, and will probably 

 soon be exterminated." Gould's Birds of Australia. 



Family, MeliphagidjE. 



Subfamily, Meliphngince. 



Peostiiemadera nov.e Seelandle. 



Certhia cincinnata, Forst. Descr. Anim. p. 78, et Icon, 

 ined. 61. 



Poe Bee-eater, Lath. Gen. Syu. ii. 682. 



Merops novaj Seelandia;, Gmel. Syst. Nat. 464. 



M. cincinnata, Lat/i. lud. Orn. i. 275. 



Sturnus crispicollis. Baud. Elem. d'Orn. 



Meliphaga cincinnata, Temm. 



Philemon cincinnatus, Vieill. Ency. Metli. 613. Leiaill 

 Ois. d'Afr. pi. 92. 



Bluish black, with shining green reflections, especially 

 on the lower part of back and under tail coverts ; back of 

 neck shining green, each feather curled and with a white 

 line down the shaft ; back bronze ; wings with a band of 

 white between the lesser and greater coverts ; throat orna- 

 mented in front with two tufts of curly white feathers. 



Length, 12i- inches; bill from gape, 1 inch 3 lines; 

 wings 6 inches 4 lines ; tarsi, 1 inch 5 lines. 



" Habitat ubique in Novai Zealandise insulis, et ab in- 

 colis appellatur Roghee Etooee, et quod incolae insularum 

 maris pacifici vitreos globulos, pro collaribus usitatos Pohe 

 appellare soleant, nautse Angli banc avem 'the Pohe Bird' 

 uominarunt, quod pluma; juguli cincinnata), quandam in- 

 aurium vel globulorum vitreorum candidorum similitudi- 

 nem habeant. Avis haec plerumque gregaria est, victitat 

 insectis et florum nectare ; capta pane et saccharo. Imi- 

 tatrix, irrequieta, in arena pulveratus, in aqua se lavat, 

 pugnax, ganula, dulce canit voce fistulari. Volatu gravi 

 et strepero, ex avbore in arborem se proripit, ajstus impa- 

 tiens. Nidificat in fruticetis. Nidus ex virgultis minimis 

 et muscis ; ova ponit plerumque quatuor." Forster. 



It is the Toui and Tui of the natives of North Island. 

 " In January," says Mr. P. Earl, " the Phormium tenax is 

 in full flower. The Koko, the name given to the bird by 

 the natives of the South Island, now has his feast ; the 

 bird inserts his long hairy tongue into the flower to extract 

 the korari or honey, of which it is very fond : at this time 

 it is ensnared with great facility by the Maori boys." Mr. 

 Earl kept one alive for two months on nothing but su"-ar 

 and water ; he brought one to England, but having had 

 him from the nest, he would readily eat potatoes or rice. 



B 2 



