H. and W. Travers. — Birds of the Chailiam Islands. 215 



my son, the numbers opposite the species thus distinguished have reference to 

 those in Captain Hutton's Catalogue. 



2. Circus assimilis. 



This bird is rare in the islands, and I was unable to obtain any specimens 

 for skinning. I found one which had been dead for some days, but which so 

 far as I could judge from the then condition of the plumage, etc., was identical 

 with the New Zealand bird. 



11. Prosthemadera novce-zealandice. 



I found this bird on the Main and on Pitt Island, where it is not uncommon, 

 but I saw no specimen on Mangare. I could detect no differences between it 

 and the birds found in New Zealand. 



12. Author nis Tnelanocephala. 



This bird occurred in the greatest numbers on' Mangare, though I also 

 found it frequently on the main island, but more rarely on Pitt Island. Its 

 note is much richer and fuller than that of its New Zealand congener. It 

 begins to breed in October, the nest being composed of grass and feathers, 

 large and coarsely constructed. As a rule the female lays three eggs. The 

 egg has a brownish pink tinge, and is spotted with a darker colour. 



Length, 1*05 in. ; diameter, -75 in. 



14. Zoster o])s lateralis. 



This bird has become very numerous, and is especially destructive to the 

 smaller fruits. During severe winters large numbers are said to die from cold 

 and hunger. During my stay at Pitt Island many were found drowned in the 

 pig tub, and I observed in New Zealand that these birds frequent the pits in 

 which house refuse is thrown in search of food. They appear to be car- 

 nivorous. They are said to have first appeared in the Chatham Islands after 

 the great fire in Australia on Black Thursday. 



21. SphenoGa,cus rufescens. 



I only found this bird on Mangare, where it is not uncommon. Its 

 peculiar habit of hopping rapidly from one point of concealment to another 

 renders it difficult to secure. It has a peculiar whistle, very like that which 

 a man would use in order to attract the attention of another at some distance, 

 and although I knew that I was alone on the island, I frequently stopped 

 mechanically on hearing the note of this bii^d, under the momentary impression 

 that some other person was whistling to me. It also uses the same cry as 

 Sphenoeacus punctatus. It is solitary in its habits and appears to live exclu- 

 sively on insects. 



