3938 The Zoologist — Apbil, 1874. 



the Idekie {Freycinetia Banksii), with a h\\ tufts of moss, leaves 

 of rimu, liued with moss and down of tree-ferns {Cyaihea) ; it 

 measured across from outside to outside of wall twelve inches six 

 lines, cavity three inches diameter, depth of cavity two inches. 

 The egg, measuring nearly one inch four lines through the axis, 

 with a breadth of eleven lines and a half, is white, sprinkled over 

 with faint purplish marks, towards the broad end brownish purple, 

 almost forming one large blotch. The breeding season probably 

 extends from September to January ; the young are protected and 

 fed by the old birds till almost full grown ; they are summoned by 

 the parent birds with their usual call, nor from this does the note 

 of their active offspring greatly differ: the saddleback quickly 

 responds to the summoning note of its species. An imitation of 

 the sound by the assistance of a leaf between the lips serves to 

 attract its presence, and is sometimes used by the collector for this 

 purpose. The next point to be considered is the plumage ; that 

 of the adult is easily described, for the feathers of the sexes fail to 

 exhibit any distinction. The collection in the Canterbury Museum 

 contains numerous specimens in the young state, procured at 

 different seasons of the year : — 



A. — Female obtained on Banks Peninsula, in the month of 

 March (our autumnal period), has the whole plumage cinereous- 

 brown, slightly flushed with rufous, excepting bastard wing and 

 the inner webs of the tail-feathers, which are black; outer wing- 

 coverts margined with ferruginous; upper and under tail-coverts 

 ferruginous ; wattles very small, pale yellow ; mandibles black, 

 except the edge of the basal portion of the lower mandible, which 

 is margined with yellow for a distance of six lines; tarsi and feet 

 black; claws horn-colour; length of the bill from gape one inch 

 four lines. 



B. — Male killed at Little River Bush in November (early 

 summer), diff'crs but little from the preceding specimen, except 

 that the caruncles are more developed, and the bill is longer by 

 two lines, 



C. — Male obtained in the bush near Akaroa, in August (the last 

 winter mouth), has a warmer tinge of ferruginous flecked on the 

 interscapulars and dorsals. 



D. — Female, procured on the same day at the same locality, 

 differs only from specimen A in being less warmly tinted with 

 rufous. 



