176 srrs( irAPin-T,. 



12. Petrceca macrocephala*. 



Groat-lieaded Titmouse, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. p. 657, pi. Iv. 



Pariis uiaiTOcephalus, Gm. S. N. i. p. 1013 (ex Lath.) ; Steph. Gen. 



Zool. V. p. 51, pl. 5. 

 Pachycephahis P australis, Steph. Gen. Zool. xiii. p. 267. 

 Rhipidura macrocephala, Gray, in Dieffenh. Voy. ii. App. p. 100. 

 ]\liro forsterorum, Gray, t. c. p. 191. 

 Miro dieft'eubachii. Gray, t. c. p. 191. 

 I'etroica macrocephala, Gray, Voy. Ereh. ^- Terr. Birds, p. ; id. 



Gen. B. i. p. 18:3 ; id. Ibis, 18G2', p. 222 ; id. Hand-l. B. i. p. 229, 



no. 3307. 

 Petvoica dieffenbachii, Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 183 ; id. Ibis, 1862, p. 223 ; 



id. Hand-l. B. i. p. 229, no. 330(i ; Ilutton, Cat. N. Zeal. B. p. 12. 

 Tnrdus minutus, Forstcr, Icon. ined. 149 ; id. Uescr. Anim. p. 83'. 

 Miro macrocephala, Bp. Cmisp. i. p. 299. 

 INIiro dieffenbachii, Bp. t. c. p. 300. 

 Muscicapa macrocephala, Ellman, Zool. 18G1, p. 7465. 

 Muscicapa minuta, Elhnan, t. c. p. 74Go. 

 Mviomoira macrocephala, Finsch, J. f. O. 1872, p. 163; Bidler, B. 



N. Zeal. p. 126; Finsch, J. f. O. 1874, p. 188; Sharpe, Voy. Ereb. 



cS- Terr. Birds, App. p. 26. " 

 Mjdomoira dieffenbachii, Finsch, Tr. N. Zeal. Inst. vii. p. 229. 



Adult male. General colour above black, with a distinct frontal 

 spot of white ; wings black, the qnills browner, the greater coverts 

 slightly tipped with white ; inner primaries with a white bar at 

 about one third of their length from the base, represented on the 

 outer web by an oblong white mark ; secondaries white at the base, 

 forming a conspicuous wiug-spot, some of the inner ones edged with 

 white along the outer web, the innermost secondaries entirely 

 blackish brown ; tail black, the three outer feathers white, obliquely 

 black on the inner webs, and marked with a blackish spot at the 

 tip, this dark marking increasing on the penultimate and the next 

 feather, which has the outer web entirely black ; entire sides of face 

 and throat black ; rest of under surface light yellow, deepening into 

 saffron-yellow round the throat, and fading into whitish on the 

 under tail-coverts ; sides of body washed with greyish ; thighs 

 black ; under wing- coverts and axillaries white with dusky grey 

 bases ; quills dull brown below, edged with light brown along the 

 inner webs, with a broad white bar across the basal part of the 



* Petrceca foksteri 



Petroica, sp., Gray, P. Z. S. 1850, p. Ifil. 



Petroica forstcri, Gray, Cat. B. Trop. M. Tacific Ocean. Tp. 15. 



Hah. Isle of Pines, New Caledonia. 



This bird is mentioned liere merely for the purpose of showing that it is a myth. 

 Mr. Gray refers as a synonym the name of Turdus minuttis, Forster (Descr. 

 Anim. p. 84). but this, from the figure and description, i.s Petrceca macrocephala 

 of New Zealand. At page 257 of the same work, Forster casually mentions 

 haTing observed Turdus minutus on Spruce-Tree Island, New Caledonia; and 

 this is apparently Mr. Crray's authnrity for naming the species Petroica forsteri, 

 on the chance of its turning up in the locality. Should a Petro'ca occur in New 

 Caledonia, it would very likely be P. simiiis of the New Hebrides. 



