﻿Mr. 
  W. 
  W. 
  Smith 
  on 
  New-Zealand 
  Birds. 
  509 
  

  

  Some 
  males 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  richer 
  or 
  more 
  orange-yellow 
  on 
  the 
  

   breast 
  and 
  superciliarieSj 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  richer 
  reddish-brown 
  tinge 
  

   on 
  the 
  back 
  than 
  others. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  first 
  plumage 
  the 
  young 
  male 
  has 
  no 
  yellow 
  on 
  the 
  

   head 
  ; 
  the 
  feathers 
  of 
  the 
  crown 
  are 
  brown 
  edged 
  with 
  black 
  ; 
  

   the 
  superciliary 
  stripe 
  is 
  light 
  yellowish 
  brown 
  ; 
  the 
  stripe 
  

   beneath 
  the 
  eye 
  is 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  adult 
  female; 
  the 
  

   throat 
  and 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  neck 
  are 
  dull 
  white, 
  the 
  feathers 
  

   slightly 
  edged 
  with 
  black 
  ; 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  black 
  pectoral 
  band 
  ; 
  

   the 
  breast 
  is 
  light 
  brown, 
  the 
  feathers 
  being 
  tipped 
  with 
  black, 
  

   not- 
  barred 
  ; 
  the 
  wing-coverts 
  are 
  spotted 
  with 
  brown 
  ; 
  the 
  

   back 
  is 
  dusky 
  brown 
  ; 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  blue 
  on 
  the 
  rump. 
  

  

  XLVI. 
  — 
  Notes 
  on 
  certain 
  Species 
  of 
  New-Zealand 
  Birds. 
  

   By 
  W. 
  W. 
  Smith, 
  Ashburton, 
  N.Z. 
  

  

  Although 
  the 
  New-Zealand 
  avifauna 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  perfectly 
  

   known 
  division 
  of 
  our 
  zoological 
  province, 
  new 
  facts 
  in 
  the 
  

   life-history 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  are 
  occasionally 
  presented 
  

   to 
  the 
  ornithologist. 
  Sir 
  Walter 
  Buller^s 
  charming 
  delinea- 
  

   tions 
  of 
  bird-life 
  in 
  all 
  its 
  peculiar 
  forms 
  in 
  New 
  Zealand, 
  

   together 
  with 
  Mr. 
  Keulemans^s 
  exquisitely 
  finished 
  and 
  life-like 
  

   pictures 
  of 
  many 
  species 
  illustrating 
  Buller^s 
  work, 
  have 
  pro- 
  

   duced 
  an 
  ever-increasing 
  and 
  lasting 
  interest 
  in 
  our 
  remark- 
  

   able 
  birds. 
  If 
  Mr. 
  Keulemans 
  had 
  studied 
  bird-life 
  in 
  forests 
  

   and 
  lakes 
  and 
  sea-shores 
  in 
  New 
  Zealand 
  for 
  many 
  years, 
  he 
  

   could 
  not 
  have 
  depicted 
  the 
  birds 
  in 
  more 
  natural 
  postures, 
  or 
  

   painted 
  their 
  haunts 
  to 
  greater 
  perfection. 
  In 
  the 
  individual 
  

   history 
  of 
  most 
  species 
  Buller 
  has 
  left 
  little 
  of 
  interest 
  to 
  be 
  

   added 
  ; 
  in 
  others 
  additional 
  features 
  in 
  their 
  habits 
  will 
  

   transpire 
  as 
  colonization 
  spreads 
  and 
  the 
  countiy 
  becomes 
  

   more 
  settled. 
  Since 
  the 
  second 
  edition 
  of 
  the 
  ' 
  Birds 
  of 
  New 
  

   Zealand 
  'appeared 
  in 
  1887, 
  1 
  have 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  gather 
  additional 
  

   notes 
  on 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  many 
  species, 
  some 
  of 
  which 
  I 
  now 
  

   offer; 
  I 
  also 
  add 
  some 
  observations 
  on 
  the 
  causes 
  of 
  the 
  

   extinction 
  and 
  gradual 
  disappearance 
  of 
  certain 
  native 
  

   birds. 
  

  

  