94 



bird, but may be recognized by its rather larger size, and the black 

 colouring of the head not extending round to the throat, as in C. ver- 

 ticalis, but the whole under surface being cinereous, growing white 

 in the middle. 



April22, 1856. 



Dr. Gray, F. R. S., in the Chair. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. On Two New Species of Birds (Nestok notabilis and 

 Spatula variegata) from the Collection of Walter 

 Mantell, Esq. By John Gould, F.R.S. 



Mr. Gould brought before the notice of the meeting two species 

 of birds from the New Zealand group of islands which he conceived 

 to be new to science ; one, a magnificent Parrot, pertaining to the 

 genus Nestor ; the other, an equally interestiug species of Duck, 

 belonging to the genus Spatula. Both these birds had beeu placed 

 in bis hauds for the purpose of describing, by Walter Mantell, Esq. 



The Nestor, which is called " Keu" by the natives, is by far the 

 largest of the three species of the form now knowTi, and is certainly 

 one of the most interesting of the ornithological novelties lately 

 discovered. It not only differs from its near allies N. hypopolius 

 and N. productus in its greater size, but in the greater uniformity of 

 its colouring, in the yellow toothed markings of the inner webs of 

 the primaries and secondaries, and in the orange toothed markings 

 of the inner webs of the tail feathers ; the yellow colouring of the 

 under mandible is another of the peculiarities by which it may be 

 distiuguished. 



Mr. ]\Iantell informed Mr. Gould that he first heard of the exist- 

 ence of the Keu about eight years ago from some old natives whom 

 he was questioning as to the birds of the Middle Island. They said 

 the Ked somewhat rcsembled the Kdka {Nestor hypopolius), but 

 that, unlike that bird, it was green, and added, that it used formerly 

 to come to the coast in severe winters, but that they had not seeu it 

 lately. Mr. Mantell has only obtained the two specimens exhibited 

 of this fine bird ; they were shot in the Hūriliiku country, and for 

 one of them he was indebted to Mr. John Lemon of Murihiku. 



The follovving is a description of this new species, for which Mr. 

 Gould proposes the name of 



Nestor notabilis. 



General hue olive-green ; each feather tipped in a crescentic form 

 with brown, aud having a fine line of the šame colour down the 

 shaft ; feathers of the lovver part of the back and the upper tail- 

 coverts washed near the tip with fiery orange-red ; primaries brown, 



