PASSERES. / 



"The Tree-Swallow, which is a native of Australia, is admitted 

 into our list of birds on the authority of a specimen shot by Mr. Lea 

 at Taupata, near Cape Farewell, on the 14th of March, 1856, and 

 fortunately preserved in the Otago Museum. Mr. Gould informs us 

 that in its own country it is a migratory species, \dsiting the southern 

 portions of Australia and Tasmania, arriving in August and retiring 

 northwards as summer advances. In the summer of 1851, Mr. F. 

 Jollie observed a flight of swallows at Wahapuaka, in the vicinity of 

 Nelson, and succeeded in shooting one, thus placing the matter 

 beyond all question. There can be no doubt that these occasional 

 visitants are stragglers from the Australian continent, and that to 

 reach our country they perform a pilgrimage on the wing of upwards 

 of a thousand miles ! " — Buller. 



Note. — See further evidence in Trans. N.Z. Inst, vol. xi., p. 360. 



COEACIAD^. Rollers. 



Eill, more or less lengthened, broad at tlie base, sides eoniprcseed, tip hooked ; nostrils, 

 basal, lateral, with linear opening ; wings, long and pointed j tail, short and even ; tarsi, 

 short ; toes, moderate. 



EUKTSTOMUS. Vieill. 



Bill, strong, depressed and broad at the base, sides much compressed towards the tip, 

 which is hooked ; nostrils, basal, oblique, partly covered by a plumed membrane ; 

 second quill the longest; fail, moderate and even; tarsi, shorter than middle toe, and 

 covered witli transverse scales ; toes, long, united at the base ; hind toe, long ; claws, 

 moderate, curved, and acute. 



7. Eurystomiis pacificus. Laih. 



Australian Roller. Dollar-bird. 



Head and neck, brown, passing into sea-green on the iipper surface, and deepening into 

 black on the lores ; spurious wing, outer webs of basal halt of quills, outer webs of secon- 

 daries, and basal half of outer webs of tail-feathers vivid blue ; six of the primaries with a 

 greenish-white basal band, forming a conspicuous spot in the centre of each wing ; throat, 

 vivid blue, with a stripe of lighter blue down the centre of each feather ; under-part of 

 shoulder and abdomen, light-green ; under-surface of the primaries and the lateral tail- 

 feathers, deep blue ; irides, brown ; bill and feet, red ; insicle of mouth, yellow. 



L., 11; W., 10-5; B., 1; T., "7. 



Note. — This species is included on the authority of a communication from Mr. F. E. 

 Clarke to the Westland Institute on the 18th February, 1881, describing it under tlie name 

 of Hiriindolanius coertdeus. 



ALCEDINID^. Kingfishers. 



Eill, long, straight, and broad at the base ; wings and tail, rounded ; feet, weak. 



Halcyon. Swains. 



First quill, long ; second the longest ; outer toe united to the third joint, and the 

 inner to the second joint, of the middle toe. 

 Asia, Africa, Australia, and Polynesia, 



