16 



NEW ZEALAND BIRDS. 



seldom or never in the low gullies. Captain Hutton found it on the 

 Great Barrier^ and Avas assured by the native residents of that island 

 that it was a migratory bird, coming and going -with the Cuckoo ! 



" In its habits it is lively and active, being incessantly on the 

 move, uttering a low feeble cheep (like the cry of a young bird), accom- 

 panied by a constant quivering of the wings. It is generally to be 

 seen running up the boles of the larger trees, often ascending spirally, 

 prying into every chink and crevice, and moving about with such 

 celerity that it is rather difficult for the collector to obtain a shot. 

 Its powers of flight are very feeble, and it simply uses its wings for 

 short passages from one tree to another. Its tail is extremely short, 

 and is hardly visible when the bird is in motion. 



" The stomachs of all that I have opened contained numerous 

 remains of minute insects, sometimes mixed with finely-comminuted 

 vegetable matter." — Buller. 



ORTnoNTX. Temm. 



Bill, short and strong for this family ; fourth, fifth and sixth quills nearly equal, second 

 much shorter than seventh ; tail, long, mucli worn at the end ; tarsi longer than the 

 middle toe. 



Australia. 



17. Orthonyx albicilla. Less. 



WmXE-nEAD. PorOKATEA. 



(PkUc IX.) 



Head, breast, and abdomen, brownish-while ; back and tail, brown ; wing-feathers, 

 dark brown. 



L., 5-8; W., 2-8; B., G ; T., 1. 



IJgg. — White, faintly speckled with pink ; length, '9 ; breadth, "62. 



ILah. — North Island only. 



" It frequents all wooded localities, but seems to prefer the out- 

 skirts of the forest and the low bush fringing the banks of rivers and 



