202 Transactions. — Zoology. 



highly-coloured variety of the common species, for they correspond in their 



style of colouring with the tail-feathers of var. d, described at page 43 of 



my Birds of New Zealand, the type of which is in the Colonial Museum at 

 Wellington . 



In my Essay on the Ornithology of New Zealand (1865) I recorded a living 

 example of Nestor rneridionalis in the possession of the Upper "Wanganui 

 tribes, in which the overgrown mandibles entirely crossed each other. This 

 bird had been in captivity for some twenty years, and having been fed on 

 soft food the bill was deprived of the wear and tear incident to a state of 

 nature, which would account for its abnormal growth. A wild specimen, 

 however, lately obtained by Mr. Lambert, at Akaroa, presents the same 

 feature, and in an exaggerated degree, both mandibles being quite deformed. 



Platycercus alpinus, Puller.— Orange-fronted Parrakeet. 



This has proved to be a good species, and there are now living examples in 

 the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park. It is easily distinguished from 

 Platycercus auriceps, not only by its paler plumage and orange forehead, but 

 also by its appreciably smaller size. The type specimens of the three species 



Museum 



& o 



Extreme length* . . . 



"Wing from flexure . . . 

 Tail 



• • • • • • 



Oilmen ... 



Tarsus 



Longer foretoe 



Longer hindtoe and claw 



P. novce-zealandke. P. cmriceps. P. alpinus. 



12 inches 10.5 inches 9 inches 



5-5 „ 4-6 „ 42 



6 „ 5 „ 4-5 



.75 „ -6 „ -5 



'75 „ -6 „ -5 



11 1 „ '85 



1 » '9 » *75 



?? 



?? 



3? 



JJ 



>) 



The accompanying sketch (Plate VIII.), in which figures are given of the 

 heads, will show at a glance the amount of difference in this respect between 

 the three birds. 



I have in my possession a cluster of eggs taken from the ovary of an 

 adult P. alpinus. 



Platycercus auriceps, Kuhl— Yellow-fronted Parrakeet. 



The small red-fronted Parrakeet, supposed by Mr. Bills to be a new species, 

 is nothing but a variety of Platycercus auriceps, with the yellow vertex deeply 

 stained, or rather mixed with red. Mr. Bills states that he found three of 

 these among 600 specimens taken, and one of these marked " male " is in the 

 Canterbury Museum. 



Eudykamis taitensis, Sparrm.— Long-tailed Cuckoo. 



The egg in the Canterbury Museum ascribed (with doubts to the above 



tail. 



