^"^igoe^'l b' or gotten Feathers. I 65 



{Prost/ionadiira novte-.'^ea/atidice.)* Crozet distributes the birds 

 which he saw in New Zealand under the four heads — birds of 

 the forest, of the lagoons, of the open country, and of the sea- 

 coast. In the forests were Wood-Pigeons as large as chickens, 

 of a brilliant blue colour. The description, though scant, is 

 sufficient, for there is only one Pigeon in New Zealand, and no 

 bird which is likely to have been mistaken for a Pigeon. We 

 cannot err therefore in believing Hci/iiphaga novcB-zealaudue to 

 be the " Pigeon Ramier " of this narrative. Two Parrots were 

 observed — a very large Parrot, in colour black (or dusky), 

 diversified with red and blue, and small Lories, which, it is said, 

 resembled the Lories of the Lsland of Gola. This comparison in 

 no wise assists one, for the Lsland of Gola is, it seems to me, 

 absolutely unidentifiable. The Lories were doubtless Cyano- 

 HiampJii, and possibly of more than one species. The Parrot which 

 one would expect to find in the north of the North Island is the 

 Kaka {Nestor nieridionalis). If this be the bird to which Crozet 

 alludes his description is somewhat imperfect, for blue does not 

 appear in its plumage. The Kea {Nestor Jiotabi/is) has blue 

 under the wing, but is not found in the North Island. In the 

 open country were the small Passerine birds, to which Crozet 

 gave the names of European birds with which he was fainiliar. 

 There also was a Quail {Coturnix novce-zealajidice), which of 

 recent years has become extinct. On the lagoons and their 

 margins Duck and Teal were abundant, and a " Poule Bleue " 

 similar to the Poules Bleues in Madagascar, India, and China. 

 This Poule Bleue is evidently one with the " Poule Sultane " — 

 our Swamp-Hen or Purple Gallinule {Porphyrio). Porphvno 

 tnelanonotus is the New Zealand species. It also inhabits 

 Tasmania and Eastern Australia, and is replaced by P 

 poliocepJialus in India, P. edivardsi in Cochin China (not, 

 apparently, in the Chinese Empire), and P. porphyrio in Mada- 

 gascar. On the sea-coast were Cormorants, Curlew, and Black 

 and White Egrets. The Curlews which migrate to New Zealand 

 for the southern summer are of the species Numeniiis cyaiiops. 

 They depart in the autumn, with the exception of a {&^ birds 

 which remain through the winter in favoured localities.-)- Pied 

 Egrets are suggested by the expression Aigrettes bUmches ct 

 noires, but there are no Pied Egrets in New Zealand. It is 

 perhaps to the White-headed Stilt {Hvnautopus leucocephalus) 

 that Crozet alludes. A black bird of the size of an Oyster- 

 Catcher, with a bright red bill and red feet, also frequented the 

 beaches. It was without doubt the Sooty Oyster-Catcher 

 {Hceniatopiis iinicolor). Among birds which visited coastal 

 waters Crozet names Terns and Ganncts. Amongst the Terns 



* Pelicans seen in Tasmania were doulitless of Uie s|)ecies /'elccanus conspicillaliis. 

 t " BuUer's Birds of New Zealand," vol. ii., p. 42 



