280 Hall, The Tasmaniaii ciiid Neiv Zealand Groups. I" J''"}" ., 



In some respects the lists contain points of interest. The 

 Hawks' list has no Eagies. Harpagornis, now a fossil, and half 

 as large again as our Wedge-tailed Eagle, preyed upon the many 

 Moas that roamed New Zealand. The only family in New Zealand 

 that is prominently Australian is the Honey-eaters [Meli- 

 ■phagidce). It has three peculiar genera, while Australia has 

 fifteen. Tasmania has eight, all of which are Australian. Of 

 these, our AnthochcBra (Wattle-Bird) is nearest* to the Parson- 

 Bird or Tui, a New Zealand Honey-eater (Prosthemadera). 

 Anthochcera, the Wattle or Gill-Bird, as a visitor to New 

 Zealand, is now looked upon as one of the list of fixtures. The 

 relative value in genera and species of the Honey-eaters is shown 

 as follows : — 



Australia. Tasmania- N.Z. 



Genera . . . . . . 15 • • 7 • • 3 



Species . . . . . . 73 . . 11 . . 4 



Map K shows the distribution of certain species and graph value 

 of the genera and species of the family. Of the four New Zealand 

 species, only one seems hkely to hold its own (Parson-Bird). The 

 others have already been eliminated from the greater portions 

 of the ranges shown. Fortunately it is so, as the Parson-Bird 

 is the one bird in New Zealand that makes its bush living with 

 a voice. The Stitch-Bird, Pogornis, (3) on map, is a very different 

 bird to the Stitch-Bird [Cisticola), the one bird in "Tasmania 

 that uses a thread to bind together one or more of the leaves of 

 the nest. 



The nocturnal Xeniciis is grouped with Pitta, which finds no 

 tropical place in Tasmania. Traversia, of the same family, has 

 feebly developed voice muscles, and the Rifleman (Acanthisitta) 

 is the smallest known (IV., 2) bird— a miniature Pitta. The 

 Blue-wattled Crow (Glaiicopsis) has a voice pitched even lower 

 than that of the Tasmanian Crow-Shrike (CractJciis). This Crow, 

 according to Professor Parker, is the most intelligent of all 

 intelligent birds ; it is fast disappearing. 



Australia is the stronghold of Parrots, Tasmania liaving a few 

 of them. New Zealand has a number similar to our Platycercits 

 (Broad-tails), and others at one time thouglit to be hke our 

 Lories t (Map I), 5-8). The Kakapo {St r in gaps) is nocturnal and 

 ground-loving, similar to our Geopsittacus in Tasmania. It nests 

 on the ground hkewise, and has " sheep-walks." Platycercits of 

 Tasmania and Cyanorhamphus of New Zealand are much alike. 

 P. elegans is found in Victoria and Norfolk Island, but gets no 

 further south in either case. The Kea in New Zealand, and Black 

 Cockatoo {Calyptorhynchus fitnereits) in Tasmania, search tlie 

 bark for insects, while the Kea (Map I), 4) hunts through the 



* ILmit, xiii., part i, p. 13 (lyi j). 

 t Emu, xviii., part i, p. 25, R. W. Shufeldt ; xi., part 2, p. dj. J. C. M'Lcan. 



