26 



following label in the handwriting of the original dis- 

 coverer : — " Nile Zelande. Baie Tasman. CEil noir, avec 

 un i^etit cercle blanc, igata." The figure in the atlas to 

 the voyage of the " Astrolabe " is certainly very bad indeed. 

 We compared the type with Dr. Buller's figure and with 

 specimens of G. fiaviveyitris, and we could not believe that 

 the two species were identical. I take the following ob- 

 servations from my note-book : — " It is very close to G. 

 fiavivcntris, but instead of being grey on the throat, the 

 latter is whitish, washed with yellow, a shade of which is 

 also apparent on the cheeks ; sides of the breast washed 

 with brown ; abdomen white, the flanks washed with 

 yellow ; wing, 1'95 ; tarsus, 0-75." The tail is imperfect, 

 but on the feathers which remain the white spot is de- 

 cidedly more correctly described as terminal instead of 

 subterminal. I mention this latter character a propos of 

 the following remarks made by Di\ Buller in his great 

 work : — " In some examples the measurements are slightly 

 larger; there is an absence of the yellow tinge on the 

 abdomen, and the white spot on the lateral tail-feathers is 

 terminal." The last-named author does not seem to allow 

 this difference to be specific, but I think that further 

 investigation by the field-observers in New Zealand may 

 prove Gertjgone igata to be a good species, and I leave the 

 matter in their hands. 



38. Gekygone albifeontata. 



Plate 4, f. 2. 



Gerygone albofrontata, Gray, anted, ^j. 5 ; Bidlcr, I. c, p. 

 Ill ; Finsch, J. f. 0. 1874, p. 188. 

 Gerygone frontata, Potts, Tr. Z. S. vi., ^j. 144 (lapsu). 



39. Gerygone sylvestris. 



Gerygone sp.. Potts, Ibis, 1872, p. 326. 



Gerygone sylvestris, Potts, Tr. Z. S. vi., p. 144 ; Finsch, 

 J. f. 0. 1874, p. 188. 



This species was fully described by Mr. Potts (/. c), but 

 Dr. Buller was inclined to refer it to G. alhifrontata. Mr. 

 Potts, however, dissenting from this view, has named it G. 

 sylvestris. 



Family, Motacellid^. 



40. Anthus nov^ zealandle. 



Anthus novas zealaudiaj, Gm. ; Gray, anted,, p. 7 ; Finsch, 

 J. f. 0. 1872, x>- 162, ct 1874, p. 189 ; Buller, B. K Z., p. 

 132. 



Family TURDID.'E. 



41. TUENAGRA HECTOKI. 



Otagon tanagra, Schl. K T. D. iii,, p. 190 (1865). 

 Turnagra hectori, Buller, Ibis, 1869, ». 39, et B. N. Z p 

 135, pi. 14, /. 1. 

 Turnagra tanagra, Gray, Eandl. B. i., p. 284. 



Keropia tanagra, Finsch, J. f. 0. 1870, p. 320, ct 1872, 

 p. 166, ct 1874, p. 191. 



Tlie cori-ect position of these curious birds in the natural 

 system is stUl a doubtful point. Gray {anted, p. 7) puts 

 Turnagra in the Timalincc, Buller in the Turdidoc, and 

 Finsch first in the Glaiocopince, and lastly (following 

 SuudevaU) in the Ptilonorhijnchidcc. He proposes in his 

 last excellent essay to strike out the family Corvidce 

 from the New Zealand Avifauna, and to place Glaueopis in 

 a separate family, Glaueopidce. At present I think with 

 Dr. Buller that Turnagra is a thick-billed form of Thrush, 

 but should it be proved ultimately to belong to the Bower- 

 birds it will form a very interesting link between the 

 Avifauna of New Zealand and Australia, by admitting into 

 the former country one of the most typical representative 

 families of the Australian sub-region; 



42. Turnagra crassirosteis. 



Turnagra crassirostris, {Gm) ; Gray, anted, p. 7 ; Buller, 

 B. N. Z., p. 138, pi. 14, /. 2 ; Finsch, J. f. 0. 1872, p. 166, 

 et 1874, p. 19. 



Dr. Buller remarks that tlris species, which is confined 

 to the South Island, and is the representative of T. hectori 

 of the North Island, is becoming very rare, owing to its 

 destruction by dogs and wild cats, being now 'almost 

 unknown in places where it was formerly abundant. 



Family HiEUNDiNiDiE. 



43. Hylochelidon nigricans. 



Hylochelidon nigricans ( V.) ; Buller, B. A^. Zeal., p. 140. 



Hirundo nigiicans, Finsch, J. /. 0. 1872, p. 162, ct 1874, 

 p. 171. 



This species has been twice obtained in New Zealand 

 according to Dr. Buller, but from the quantity seen on one 

 occasion it doubtless occurs in some numbers, though 

 probably it is not a regular emigrant ; it comes from the 

 Australian continent. 



Family, MusciCAPiD^. 

 44. Myiomoira toitoi. 



Petroica toitoi, {less) ; Gray, anted, p. 6. 

 Myiomoira ioitoi', Finsch, J. f. 0. 1872. p. 163, et 1874, 

 p. 189 ; Buller, B. N. Zeal. p. 124. 



45. Myiomoira macrocephala. 



Petroica macrocephala {Gm); Gray, anted, p. 6. 



Myiomoira macrocephala, Finsch, J. f. 0. 1872, p. 163, et 

 1874, p. 188 ; Buller, B. K Zeal, p. 126. 



Petroica dieffenbachii, Gray, anted, p. 6, pi. 6, /. 2. 



Dr. Buller has already pointed out that P. dieffenbachii 

 of Gray is not distinct from P. macrocephala, and in this 

 determination, which seems to me perfectly correct. Dr. 

 Finsch coincides. 



