of the Birds of Auckland. 393 



The note of A. chloris is a small weak cheep. Mohoua albicilla 

 is common in the forest, but generally keeps in the tops of the 

 trees. Its note is something like that of the Yellow Hammer, 

 but without the last long note. Its nest is made of moss, grass, 

 and the bark of Leptospermum, and lined with grass and the 

 hairs from the young fronds of tree-ferns. 



LusciNiiD^ : — Gerygone flaviventr-is is common, and has a 

 sweet little song. Irides crimson, bill black, legs and feet 

 brownish-black. Nest oval, with an opening at one side near 

 the upper end, composed of moss, feathers, grass, fresh-water 

 Alffa, wool, &c., and lined with feathers, grass, and fern root- 

 lets ^. Its length is 3 or 4 inches, with a breadth of 2 inches. 

 Pctroeca toitoi and P. longipes are both common in the bush ; 

 the note of the latter somewhat resembles that of a Canary, 

 but is not so loud, nor so varied. Anthus novae- zelandice is the 

 commonest native bird, and appears to increase with cultivation. 

 Its nest is built on the ground, of fern, lined with grass. Eggs 

 yellow-grey, spotted with brown and grey : length "9 in., 

 breadth "7 in. 



MusciCAPiDiE : — Rhipidura flabellifera is very common. It 

 has no pretensions to be called a songster, having nothing but 

 a harsh chirp. Nest about 2'5 or 3 inches in diameter, and the 

 same or less in height, composed of grass, moss, and bark of 

 Leptospermum, and lined with hair, grass-culms, fruit-stalks of 

 moss [Brijum, Tr-ichostomum, &c.). Eggs white, with brown 

 spots or blotches, often forming a ring, near the thick end : 

 length '65 in., breadth -5 in. 



Sturnidje : — Creadion carunculatus : — A nest of this bird, 

 which Mr. Kirk and myself found on the Little Barrier Island, 

 was about two feet down the hollow stem of a dead tree-fern 

 whose top was broken off. It was roughly composed of stems of 

 HymenopJiyllum and dead fibres of Areca sapida, and lined with 

 the fine loose bark of Leptospermum. The eggs were three in 

 number, white, spotted with brownish-grey and violet near the 

 thick end: length 1"15 in., breadth "9 in. 



PsiTTACiD^ : — Both Platycercus novce-zelandice and P. auri- 

 ceps are found in the province, although not very common on 



* I have never seen the porch described by Mr. BuUer hi his 'Essay.' 



