114 Transactions.—Zoology. 
example, his decision against the recognition of Halcyon vagans was based 
: i ie E 
“on two specimens only.” His subsequent “ examination of a large series 
has satisfied him that his conclusions in this instance were erroneous, 
Nestor esslingii, Souancé, 
This “most magnificent of parrots,” as Mr. Gould termed it, has finally 
dropped out of our list, although it held its place there as a recognized species 
for many years. It is one of the numerous “ varieties” of Nestor meridionalis, 
of which full descriptions are given at pp. 40 
45 of my book, and a very 
beautiful life-size drawing of it is to be found in the supplement to Gould’s 
* Birds of Australia.” I do not think it is quite fair, however, to fix upon 
Dr. Haast the responsibility of its retention on Dr. Finsch's previous lists. 
As pointed out by myself, in a paper written several years ago (Trans. N.Z. 
Inst., III., р. 49), the published descriptions of Nestor esslingii were so much 
at variance in their details that it was impossible to know the bird without 
seeing it; but I then ventured to express a belief that it would prove to be a 
mere variety of our highly variable Nestor meridionalis. This conclusion was 
fully verified by my examination afterwards of the type specimen in the 
British Museum, and I published the result in Part Т, of my “Birds.” 
Dr. Finsch had previously enjoyed the opportunity of examining this 
specimen, and wrote as follows respecting it in his “ Monograph” (Die 
Papageien):—‘ This species approaches, in its uniform colour, nearest to 
Nestor meridionalis, but differs from the latter satisfactorily by the broad 
yellowish white bands across the under part of the body, so that there can be 
no doubt of the specific individuality of the bird." Dr. Haast was not in any 
way responsible for this decision. 
Prince D'Esslings bird was of unknown locality, and the mistaken 
reference to the species in Haast's paper (Verhandel des Zool. Bot. Ver. zu 
Wien, 1863, p. 116) was, of course, apparent evidence of the existence of such 
a bird in New- Zealand, but nothing more. : 
While I mention this circumstance, I must however bear testimony to the 
extreme care and accuracy in the determination of species which is manifest on 
every page of the valuable “ Monograph” I have quoted. 
Nestor occidentalis, Buller. 
Till we know something more of this bird, the distinctness of Nestor 
occidentalis as a species must, I submit, be considered sub judice. Мо collector 
has since penetrated to the remote distriet whence Dr. Hector's specimens 
(now in the Colonial Museum) were obtained. 
Platycercus forsteri, Finsch. Ј 
I am glad to find that Dr. Finsch has agreed to sink this species. I ven- 
tured to challenge it in 1868 (Trans. N.Z. Inst., Vol. IL, p. 109) ; and after 
