1. SPITENCEACTJS. 97 



Adult male. Differs from S. africamis and S. intermedius in 

 having no streaks on the flanks or on the upper and lower tail- 

 coverts ; " legs, feet, and hill lavender ; iris reddish brown " (Reid). 

 Total length 8-5 inches, culmen 0-7, wing 2-95, tail 4, tarsus 0'95. 

 In the winter plnmage the general aspect of the bird is much 

 more mealy and fulvous than in summer. The sexes measure as 

 follows : — 



Total 



length. Wing. Tail. Tarsus, 

 in. in. in. in. 



S ad. Swaziland, June 1876 7-5 2-8 37 10-5 



2 ad. Transvaal, July 1879 7-o 2-75 3-7 OOo 



Hah. S.E. Africa from Natal to the Transvaal. 



a. c? ad. sk. Newcastle, Natal, June 8, Capt. SavileG. Eeid [P.]. 



1881. 



4. Sphenceacus pxmctatus. 



Synallaxis punctata, Quoi/ Sf- Gaim. Voy. de VAstrol. i. p. 255, pi. 18. 

 "fig. 2 (18.30). 



Sphenceacus punctatus, Graij, Voy. Ereh. ^- Terror, Birds, p. 5 

 (1844) ; Cab. Miis. Hein. Th. i. p. 42 (1850) ; Gray, Ibis, 1862, 

 p. 220 ; Finsch, J.f. O. 1872, p. Ill ; Bidler, B. Netv Zeal. p. 128, 

 pi. 13. fig. 1 (1873) ; Sharpe, Voi/. Ereb. i.^- Terror, App. Birds, 

 p. 25 (1875); Bidler, Man. B. New Zeal. p. 17, pi. x. fig. 1 

 (1882). 



Megalurus punctatus. Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 109 (1848) id. Hand-l. B. 

 i. p. 206, no. 2910 (1869). 



Adrdt. General colour above dusky fulvous-brown, the feathers 

 being blackish with fulvous-brown edgings ; head somewhat rufes- 

 cent brown, with blackish centres to the feathers ; wing-coverts and 

 quills blackish, margined with fulvous-brown like the back : upper 

 tail-coverts and tail-feathers blackish, rather broadly margined with 

 fulvous-brown ; over the eye a narrow white streak ; ear-coverts 

 brown ; cheeks, sides of face, throat, and fore neck dull white, 

 spotted with dusky blackish, these spots becoming larger and taking 

 the form of streaks on the breast ; centre of breast and abdomen 

 whitish : sides of breast, flanks, and under tail-coverts fulvous 

 brown, broadly streaked with blackish brown ; thighs bi'own : axil- 

 laries like the sides of the breast ; under wing-coverts light fulvous ; 

 quills dusky brown below, ashy along the margin of the inner web ; 

 "bill and feet pale brown; iris black" (BvlJer), Total length 

 7 inches, culmen 0'6, wing 2-2, tail 4-1, tarsus 0*85. 



Yoxinff birds, according to Dr. Euller, assume the adult plumage 

 on leaving the nest. 



Hah. New Zealand, where it is found in both islands. 



rt, b. Ad. sk. New Zealand. Antarctic Expedition [C.]. 



