Buiter.—Ornithology of New Zealand. | 221 
maculicaudus, Petroica macrocephala, P. dieffenbachii, P. toitoi, P. longipes, 
P. albifrons, and Anthus nove-zealandie. The specific difference between 
Sphencacus punctatus and S. fulvus, as determined by Mr. Gray, is open to 
question, as the former species is subject to much variation. 
Probably to the genus Zosterops?of this family belongs a small migratory 
bird called by the natives kanohimowhiti. It is properly a South Island 
species, retiring to the southern parts of Otago during the summer months, 
and advaneing northwards into the Nelson Province on the approach of 
winter. 
The history of its appearance in the North Island is very remarkable. 
It erossed over, for the first time in the memory of the native inhabitants, in 
the winter of 1856. It appeared then in flocks numbering from twenty to 
fifty, and after a sojourn of nearly three months suddenly departed. After 
this it did not venture across the Straits for a period of [three] two years, but 
appeared in Wellington again, in greater numbers than before, in the winter 
of 1858, and repeated the visit regularly during the four years that followed. 
Since 1862 it has been a permanent resident in the Wellington Province, 
retiring in summer to the elevated lands of the interior, and returning to 
the coast districts on the approach of winter. This bird is invaluable to the 
orchards and gardens, where it subsists almost entirely on the destructive 
little Aphis known as American blight. The author has not yet had an 
opportunity of comparing this little migrant with the four species of 
Zosterops recorded from Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands, and therefore 
hesitates to pronounce it a new bird. 
Fam. Turpip2— We have two representatives of this family belonging to 
different genera. One of them, Mimus carunculatus,* is found only in the 
extreme north, while the other, Twrnagra crassirostris, has a southern range, 
being extremely rare to the north of Taranaki. 
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feathers; and the nest forms altogether a well-proportioned and a structure, 
testifying alike to the skill and industry of the modest little builder. 
The nest of the other species is of a somewhat similar size, but iti is fuller in the middle 
than the one described, and is pear-shaped towards the apex instead of tapering. The 
materials composing it are of coarser texture, there is less execution or finish about it, and 
the ingenious porch, the peculiar feature of the one, is altogether wanting in the other. 
Moreover, the orifice is much larger, and the interior lining consists of soft grass capsules 
of proportionate size, slightly pyriform in shape, and marked at the larger end with reddish 
spots on a white ground, while the eggs of the other species usually number four, are 
about one-third less in size, and of pure white. 
carunculatus, Buller.—Prevailing colour greyish-brown, darkest on the back ; 
erown and surrounding parts dark brown; on the hind neck and back a touch of white 
down the centre of each feather; throat and a patch behind each wattle greyish-white ; 
ear-coverts and below the eye silvery gray ; sides of the neck and breast tinged with 
TM: on the abdomen a M of eanary yellow, diluted on theedges. Quills and tail- 
