110 Letters, Announcements, ^c. 



The male is again the largest, being in length 12", the female 

 10^" (all measurements taken "in the flesh," of course). 

 They were killed by L. L. in dense forest. After procuring 

 the first, its mate kept calling round till it afforded a shot, 

 which secured it. It closely resembles Platycercus nova- 

 zealandia, Sparrm., of Hutton's ' Catalogue of the Birds of 

 New Zealand ;' but on comparing it with specimens received 

 from that gentleman, it is at once seen to be larger, has a 

 yelloivei' green on the underside of the body, a bluer tinge 

 on the upperside of the tail-feathers ; and these last are 

 rounded at the ends, not pointed, as in the former, 

 /' And now, last and least in point of size, but first in merit, a 

 pair (male and female) of that singular bird the C/?//or7iywcAM5 

 pachycephaloides, of D. G. Elliot (P.Z. S. 1870, p. 243, pi. xix.) . 

 These we found along the banks of a small stream in the forest, 

 the first creeping about some dense lianes, the other in a 

 more open place ; a third was seen and wounded, but escaped. 

 L. L. watched this last for some time. It had all the man- 

 ners of a Rhipidura, and was, indeed, in the distance, mis- 

 taken for R. verreauxi ; but a nearer approach dispelled the 

 illusion. It was very restless in its movements, incessantly 

 darting at its insect prey (minute Coleoptera) on the under- 

 side of leaves and branches, elevating and expanding its tail, 

 at which times the white tip was conspicuously visible. 



Our specimens diff"er somewhat from the type described by 

 Mr. Elliot : both are larger ; we give the dimensions : — 



(S. Total length 7" 6'", wing 3" 9'", tail 3" 9'", tarse 10'", bill 13'". 

 $. „ 7" 3"', „ 3" 5'", „ 3" 8'", „ 10'", „ 13'". 



Then, again, only two, instead of four, central tail-feathers 

 are immaculate, the others being all more or less tipped with 

 white, which in the female is tinted with isabella-colour. 

 The colours of the soft parts, taken just after death, were as 

 follows : — (^ . Bill pale bluish white (like that of Artamus, 

 but paler) ; this darkened into dark silver-grey, with a white 

 tip, in dying ; legs and feet silver-grey, soles yellow, claws 

 white ; iris dark drab. ? . Bill horn-coloured, with the base 

 of lower mandible, tip, and edges pale ; gape yellow ; the rest 



