34 New Zealand Birds in 1772 



as large as fowls, and bright blue in colour ; no doubt the one 

 pigeon of New Zealand {Hemiphaga Nov^-Zealandia) is alluded to 

 in this description. Two parrots are mentioned, one of which 

 was very large and black or dusky in colour diversified with red 

 and blue, and the other was a small lory, which resembled the 

 lories in the island of Gola.* It was no doubt a Cyanorhamphus — 

 a genus of which there are in New Zealand more than one 

 species. The large parrot may be the Kaka, although there is 

 no blue in the plumage of the Kaka {Nestor meridionalis). There 

 is blue under the wing of the Kea, but the Kea {Nestor notabilis) 

 is not a bird of the North, but of the South Island. 



In the open country were the passerine birds, which Crozet 

 mentions by the names of European birds, and also a quail 

 {Coturnix Novae- Zealandia) which has lately become extinct. 



On the lakes were ducks and teals in abundance, and a ' poule 

 bleue,' similar to the ' poules bleues ' of Madagascar, India, and 

 China. The * poule bleue ' was doubtless the Swamp Hen or 

 Purple Gallinule which, because of its rich purple plumage and 

 red feet, is a conspicuous object in New Zealand landscapes. 

 The species which inhabits New Zealand, Tasmania, and Eastern 

 Australia is Porphyria melanotus. 



On the sea-coast were cormorants, curlews, and black-and- 

 white egrets. The curlews, which pass the summer in New 

 Zealand and the remainder of the year in islands of the 

 Pacific Ocean, are of the species Numenius cyanopus. They leave 

 New Zealand in autumn, with the exception of a few individuals 

 which remain in favoured localities. The ' aigrettes blanches et 

 noires ' were perhaps reef herons ; the black bird of the form of 

 an oyster-catcher, and possessing a red bill and red feet, was 

 doubtless the Sooty Oyster-catcher {Harnatopus untcolor\ which 



* I am unable to identify the lories of Gola Island. 



