25G Mr. W. Eagle Clarke on the 



& j 



secondaries and tertials tipped with greyish buff ; flanks 

 faintly washed with brown ; middle of abdomen and under 

 tail-coverts buff; central rectrices dull green, the next 

 edged with buff and the outermost with green. Wing 

 4-0 inches, tail 35, tarsus 1*15, culmen '68. 



? Adult in Winter Plumage. Pileum and hind-neck olive- 

 grey ; back tawny olive, broadly striped with black on the 

 interscapulary region ; upper surface, wing-coverts, and tail 

 washed with sage-green ; primaries narrowly edged out- 

 wardly with brown ; secondaries broadly margined with 

 sage-green and tawny olive ; under parts greyish green, 

 washed with tawny olive on the breast and flanks and 

 passing into buff on the lower abdomen and tail-coverts. 



This specimen is unfortunately unsexed, but, since the 

 yellow stripes on the head and the black on the throat and 

 lores are brighter than in the female, it is probably a 

 male. 



I have ventured to suggest that this bird is an adult in 

 winter plumage, taking my cue from the fact that a some- 

 what analogous seasonal change is to be found in the male 

 of Phrygilus melanoderus of the Falkland*. I may mention 

 that the adult male of N. goughensis bears a strong re- 

 semblance* in colour and markings to the adult male of 

 P. xanthogrammus oi the Falklands, in which apparently the 

 various stages of plumage are as yet incompletely known, 

 as arc also, unfortunately, those of Nerospizu acuutne. 



These Buntings, with those next to be described, were 

 captured on the low ground bordering the landing-place, 

 where they were mostly observed hopping about on the 

 boulders, stranded wood, and seaweed, a little above 

 high-water mark. They were not so tame as to permit 

 themselves to be caught, but readily allowed an approach 

 to within two or three yards, and then flitted off to a short 

 distance. They Avere not observed in the ravine running 

 inland, nor on its steep sides. 



* See Gould's figure in Darwin's " Voyage of the ' Beagle ' " : Birds, 

 plate 33. 



