380 Dr. Finsch on some Birds from New Zealand. 



Gerygone assimtlis, Buller, Essay, p. 9. 



Mr. Buller separated this new species from G. flaviventris 

 more on account of the difference in the construction of their 

 nests than from any shown by the birds themselves. T there- 

 fore expressed my doubts (Journ. f. Orn. 1867, p. 342) whether 

 it was possible to distinguish the bird clearly. A specimen of 

 G. assimilis, from Dr. Haast, convinced me at once that the 

 skin of this species is not distinguishable from that of the true 

 G. flaviventris. The specimen agrees in every respect with the 

 description and figure given by Mr. Gray (Voy. ' Erebus' and 

 * Terror/ Birds, p. 5, pi. iv. fig. 1), except that the yellow tinge 

 on the belly is paler ; but the specimen is marked as a female. 



TuRNAGRA HECTORi, BuUcr, Ibis, 1869, p. 39. 



The editor of 'The Ibis' has already suggested that this 

 species is probably identical with Otagon tanagra, Schlegel 

 (Nederl. Tijdschr. voor de Dierk. iii. 1865, p. 190). I agree 

 with this supposition ; for a careful comparison of the descrip- 

 tions cannot admit of the slightest doubt as to their referring to 

 the same species. 



Anas gracilis, Buller, Ibis, 1869, p. 41. 



This is undoubtedly identical with Anas [Querquedula] gibhe- 

 rifrons, Salomon Miiller (Verhandelingen Land en Volkenkunde^ 

 1839-41, p. 159), as the comparison of a typical specimen of 

 A. gracilis received from Dr. Haast with specimens from 

 Timor in the Bremen Museum shows. The species has a wide 

 geographical distribution. Timor (Sal. Miiller, Wallace), Flores 

 (Wallace), Celebes (Forsten), Northern Australia (Leyden Mus.), 

 South Australia (Leyden Mus., Haast), New Caledonia (Ley- 

 den Mus.). 



PoDiCEPs HECTORi, Buller, Essay, p. 19 ; Finsch, Journ. f. 

 Orn. 1867, p. 345. 



The distinctive character of this species, from our P. cristatus 

 (Linn.), was declared by Mr. Buller to be the absence of white on 

 the wings and shoulders. The collection contains a Grebe which 

 Dr. Haast mentions in his letter as a typical P. hectori. This 

 sj)ecimen is partially moulting, as is especially shown by the fact 



