JBuLLEK. — On some rare Sjwcies of New Zealand Birds. 315 



kind) being obtained. At any rate, till a specimen in the supposed immature 

 dress has actually been taken in the North Island, the point cannot, I think, 

 be considered finally set at rest." 



Here again, strange to say, after a lapse of nearly twenty years, the 

 required evidence is forthcoming, and my Creadion cinereus recovers the 

 specific rank so long denied to it. 



In 1881, Mr. A. Eeischek, a very ardent collector, wrote to me as 

 follows: — "About Creadion cinereus, I have this to state: In December, 

 1878, when I was on the west coast of the South Island, I shot about 

 twenty of both kinds, and of both sexes. What were supposed to be the 

 young of C. carunculatus (your Creadion cinereus) I found, on dissection, to be 

 fully adult birds, both male and female. My observations on this point were 

 perfectly reliable. In December, 1880, I stayed on the Hen (an island in 

 the Hauraki Gulf) three weeks, and shot about thirty specimens of Creadion 

 carunculatus, all of them being in the common saddle-back plumage. I 

 could only determine the sex in each case by dissection, and what appeared 

 to be the young birds differed only from the adult in having the wattles 

 smaller and lighter in colour. I roamed over the whole island during my 

 stay there, and never saw a bird in the plumage of your Creadion cinereus " 

 (which is confined to the South Island, where both species commingle). 



In 1882, and again in the early part of the present year, Mr. Eeischek re- 

 visited the Hen, and on both occasions remained there a considerable time 

 exploring every part of the island, and collecting its productions. On his 

 last visit he saw probably forty examples of this bird, all in the plumage of 

 C. carunculatus, and collected many specimens of both sexes and all ages. 

 On the Little Barrier he found the species scarce, and obtained only two 

 specimens ; while on the Chickens and Island of Kawau he did not meet 

 with this bird at all. In some which he dissected the testes were almost 

 microscopic, the only external differences between these and the old birds 

 being that the plumage was not so glossy, and> the wattles not so large or 

 bright. In the adult male these ornamental appendages, of the size of 

 cucumber seeds, are of a beautiful orange colour, and in the adult female 

 a little lighter. In the young birds they are still lighter and extremely 

 minute in size. 



To place the matter, however, beyond all doubt, he found, on one occa- 

 sion, two adult birds feeding a young one, and was successful enough to 

 secure all three birds, which he carefully preserved and marked. He was 

 loath to part with these specimens, but to enable me to demonstrate the 

 specific value of Creadion cinereus he handed all three birds over to me, and 

 I have now the pleasure of submitting them to you, marked respectively 

 male, female, and young. 



