1. ACANTHIDOSITTA. 451 



1. ACANTHIDOSITTA. 



Type. 



Acanthisitta, Lafr. May. de Zool. 1842, pi. 27 A. chloris. 



Acanthidositta, Bidler, B. N. Z. ed. ii. p. 113 (1887) A. chloris. 



As indicated by its name, this form is peculiar for its slender, 

 thorn-like bill. Acanthidositta builds its nest in holes of trees and 

 in other cavities, composed of leaves and plants, and lays white eggs. 



1. Acanthidositta chloris. 



Sitta chloris, Sparrm. Mm. Carls, pi. 33 (1787). 



Acanthisitta chloris, Gray, Ibis, 1862, p. 219; Finsch, J.f. 0. 1867, 



p. 320, 1870, p. 251, 1872, p. 109, et 1874, pp. 171, 183 ; Pelz. 



Verh. k.-k. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, 1867, p. 316 ; Hutton, Cat. B. 



of N. Z. p. 8 (1871) ; id. Ibis, 1870, p. 392 ; Forbes, P. Z. S. 



1882, p. 569; Buller, B. N. Z. p. 112; id. Man. B. N. Z. p. 15 



(1882). 

 Acanthidositta chloris, Buller, B. N. Z. ed. ii. p. 113. 

 Citrine Warbler, .Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. pt. 2, p. 464. 

 Motacilla citrina, Gin. 8. 2V. i. p. 979 (1788). 

 Sylvia citrina, Lath. lnd. Orn. ii. p. 529. 

 Acanthisitta citrina, Gray, List of Gen. 1842, App. p. 6 ; Ellman, 



Zool. 1861, p. 7466. 

 Sitta punctata, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. de lAslr. i. p. 221, pi. 18. fig. 1 



(1830). 

 Acanthisitta punctata, Gray, List of Gen. 1842, App. p. 6 ; Ellman, 



Zool. 1861, p. 7466. 

 Motacilla citrinella, Forst. Descr. An. p. 89 (1844). 

 Acanthiza tenuirostris, Lafr. R. Z. 1841, p. 242. 

 Acanthisitta tenuirostris, Lafr. May. de Zool. 1842, Ois. pi. 27. 



Upper parts dull green, tinged with yellow on the wings and 

 rump ; throat, breast, and underparts generally fulvous white, with 

 a tinge of yellow on the sides of the body and abdomen ; a streak 

 over and beyond the eyes and a lower-eyelid fringe of fulvous white ; 

 wing-feathers black, edged on their outer webs with green, and 

 crossed by a band of dull yellow immediately below the coverts, 

 which are black : the first tertial white on its outer web ; tail- 

 feathers black, tipped with fuscous ; irides and bill dark brown ; 

 legs and feet paler brown, changing to yellow on the under surface 

 of the toes : length 3 inches, wing 1-5, tail *95. Female. Crown, 

 hind neck, and upper back olivaceous yellow, each feather margined 

 with brown ; lower back and rump olivaceous yellow tinged with 

 green ; tail-coverts dull green : beneath buffy white, sides washed 

 with yellow ; wing-feathers dusky, margined on the outer web and 

 marked at the base with olivaceous yellow ; superior wing-coverts 

 black ; outer tortials margined with white ; innermost secondary 

 with an oblong spot of yellowish white on the outer vane ; tail 

 black, tipped with fulvous. Young. Duller, and suffused with yel- 

 lowish brown ; breast with numerous elongated brown striations. 



Hub. North and South Islands of New Zealand. 



2g 2 



