36 Capt. F. W. Huttoii on certain 



Heteralocha acutirostris. 



The tongue of this bird is not, according to my observations, 

 " bifurcate at the tip," nor is it "furnished \ntli minute barbs," 

 but is deeply fringed at the tip, and slightly so down each 

 side for about a third of its length. 



Halcyon yagans. 



I have never known an instance of this bird catching fish ; 

 like the rest of the genus it subsists entirely on insects and 

 crustaceans. 



PrOSTHEMADERA NOViE-ZEALANDI^. 



The bird described and figured as young must surely be a 

 variety. 1 have seen several young specimens, but none of 

 them had a white crescent on the throat. 



Anthornis melanura. 



Dr. Buller is certainly in error in saying that this bird is 

 dying out all over New Zealand ; for it is one of the commonest 

 of birds in the South Island, and can be seen in almost every 

 garden. The district in w^hich it is all but exterminated cor- 

 responds far better with the district thickly inhabited by 

 Maoris than with the district thickly inhabited by Mus decu- 

 manus. I have never observed any bright-coloured feathers 

 in its nest. 



Orthonyx albicilla. 



I quite agree wdth Mr. Potts that this bird is by no means 

 the representative in the north island of O. ochrocephala. The 

 structure of its feet shows that it is not an Orthonyx at all ; 

 and in its habits and song it is quite different from 0. ochro- 

 cephala. According to my observations it does not prefer 

 low bush, nor does it climb the boles of trees, but is almost 

 alw^ays seen hopping about in the very topmost boughs of 

 tall trees. 



Dr. Buller is also mistaken in saying that it sings like the 

 Canary. It is the Robin {Miro longipes) that sings like the 

 Canary, while the song of the White-head (O. (?) albicilla) is 

 much like that of the Yellow-hammer [Emheriza citrinella), 

 but without the last note. 



