40 Mr. W. Buller on some New Species 



is dark green. In the smaller species, P. auriceps, the frontal 

 band is crimson, and the vertex golden, while the general plu- 

 mage is a warm yellowish-green. In P. alpinus, which is 

 smaller again than the last-named species^ the frontal band is 

 orange, and the vertex pale yellow, while there is an absence of 

 the yellow element in the plumage, which is of a cold pure 

 green, much paler on the under parts. The thigh-spots more- 

 over are much smaller than in P. auriceps, and are orpiment- 

 orange instead of crimson. On comparing the bills of the two 

 species the difference is very manifest, that of P. alpinus being 

 fully one-third less than that of P. auriceps. 



Length 8*5 in. ; wing from flexure 4*25 ; tail 4*5 ; tarsus 

 •625 ; longest fore toe and claw "875 ; bill, following curvature 

 •5, along edge of lower mandible *25. 



Dr. Haast, from whom I received several specimens of this 

 bird, met with it in the forests of the Southern Alps, at an ele- 

 vation of from 2000 to 2500 feet ; and Mr, Travers sent me 

 for examination other examples obtained by him in the high 

 wooded country of the Nelson Province. 



5. Nestor occidentalis, sp. nov. 



Upper surface dark olivaceous-brown, tinged with yellow on 

 the wing-coverts, each feather margined with dusky-black ; 

 feathers of the nape dull red, margined with yellow and black, 

 and forming a narrow nuchal collar; uropygium, tail-coverts, 

 and abdomen dark arterial-red, the feathers of the latter banded 

 with a brighter tint ; ear-coverts pale orpiment-orange ; feathers 

 projecting over the lower mandible tinged with red ; throat, ntck, 

 and breast dark olivaceous-brown ; lining of wings and axillary 

 plumes bright scarlet, obscurely barred with black, and tipped 

 with golden-yellow ; quills and tail-feathers russet-brown, the 

 former toothed with yellow on their inner vane ; bill and feet 

 dark olivaceous- gray. 



Length 16-5 in. ; wing from flexure lOo ; tail 6 ; tarsus 1 ; 

 longest fore toe 2*25 ; longest hind toe2'125; bill, following- 

 curvature 2*25, along edge of lower mandible 1*5. 



Apart from the difference of plumage, this species is appre- 

 ciably smaller than the common one, while the bill is more 

 slender and has the upper mandible produced to a tiner point. 



