﻿538 
  Mr. 
  H, 
  O. 
  Forbes 
  on 
  the 
  Birds 
  

  

  distinct, 
  tliough 
  not 
  very 
  tall 
  or 
  conspicuous, 
  crest, 
  and 
  ou 
  

   the 
  cheeks 
  and 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  as 
  far 
  back 
  as 
  the 
  posterior 
  

   end 
  of 
  the 
  rami 
  of 
  the 
  mandible, 
  also 
  elongated, 
  forming 
  a 
  

   Grebe-like 
  ruff, 
  all 
  rich 
  glossy 
  green. 
  Occiput, 
  head, 
  and 
  

   lower 
  neck, 
  an 
  interscapular 
  line, 
  back, 
  rump, 
  and 
  thighs 
  

   very 
  dark 
  purple 
  or 
  deep 
  steel-blue, 
  richly 
  glossed. 
  Shoulders, 
  

   mantle, 
  and 
  wing-coverts 
  olive-green, 
  the 
  middle 
  w^ing-coverts 
  

   white, 
  forming 
  a 
  long 
  and 
  conspicuous 
  alar 
  bar; 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  

   a 
  squarish 
  patch 
  of 
  white, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  distinctly 
  divided 
  

   into 
  two, 
  which 
  appears 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  developed 
  in 
  birds 
  of 
  the 
  

   first 
  year, 
  but 
  becomes 
  more 
  marked 
  with 
  maturity. 
  I 
  have 
  

   described 
  above 
  the 
  changes 
  that 
  take 
  place 
  in 
  this 
  species, 
  

   while 
  speaking 
  of 
  P. 
  onsloici. 
  The 
  gular 
  region 
  has 
  a 
  deeply 
  

   feathered 
  line 
  of 
  white, 
  commencing 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  

   the 
  eye 
  ; 
  this 
  expands 
  slightly 
  under 
  the 
  throat 
  into 
  a 
  white 
  

   stripe 
  of 
  dense 
  and 
  elongate 
  feathers, 
  separating 
  the 
  green 
  

   ruff 
  (above 
  spoken 
  of) 
  as 
  far 
  back 
  as 
  the 
  posterior 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  

   rami 
  of 
  the 
  mandible, 
  where 
  the 
  white 
  stripe 
  expands 
  (in 
  

   shorter 
  feathers) 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  fore 
  neck 
  and 
  still 
  more 
  

   on 
  the 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  neck, 
  thus 
  constricting 
  the 
  rich 
  

   blue 
  on 
  the 
  upperside 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  neck 
  opposite 
  where 
  

   it 
  begins 
  to 
  change 
  into 
  the 
  green 
  of 
  the 
  mantle. 
  This 
  

   approximation 
  of 
  the 
  dark 
  feathers 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  is 
  very 
  cha- 
  

   racteristic; 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  underside 
  is 
  pure 
  

   white. 
  Bare 
  skin 
  in 
  front 
  of, 
  round 
  the 
  eye, 
  and 
  around 
  the 
  

   gape, 
  with 
  the 
  caruuculations 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  face, 
  orange- 
  

   red. 
  Bill 
  dark 
  brown. 
  Legs 
  and 
  feet 
  orange. 
  Wing- 
  

   feathers 
  black, 
  washed 
  with 
  olive-green. 
  Under 
  surface 
  of 
  

   quills 
  blackish 
  brown. 
  Tail-feathers 
  12 
  in 
  number, 
  dull 
  black, 
  

   with 
  the 
  shafts 
  white 
  at 
  base. 
  Total 
  length 
  24"5-27'7'5 
  inches, 
  

   wing 
  from 
  flexure 
  105-11, 
  tail 
  4*75-5, 
  tarsus 
  2*42. 
  

  

  Under 
  his 
  description 
  of 
  P. 
  colensoi, 
  Sir 
  W. 
  Buller 
  observes 
  

   that 
  " 
  in 
  the 
  British 
  jMuseum 
  there 
  are 
  two 
  examples 
  (in 
  

   moulting 
  condition) 
  obtained 
  by 
  Baron 
  A. 
  von 
  Hiigel 
  at 
  

   the 
  Bluff, 
  in 
  the 
  provincial 
  district 
  of 
  Southland,^' 
  New 
  

   Zealand. 
  I 
  have 
  examined 
  these 
  two 
  skins 
  as 
  also 
  a 
  third 
  

   in 
  the 
  same 
  collection, 
  also 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  locality 
  

   by 
  Von 
  Hiigel, 
  and 
  there 
  can 
  be 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  they 
  

  

  