Oedee PASSEEES.] 



[Fam. MELIPHAGID^. 



\ 



PEOSTHEMADEKA NOViE ZEALANDIJl. 



(TUI OR PARSON BIRD.) 



Few-Zealand Creeper, Brown, lUustr. Zool. pi. ix. (177bj. 



Poe Bee-eater, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. p. 682 (1782). 



Merops novce seelandice, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 464 (1788, ex Lath.). 



Merops cincinnafus, Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 275 (1790), 



La Cravate Frisee, LevaiU. Ois. d'Afr. ii. pi. 92 (1800). 



Sturnus crispicoUis, Daud. Traite d'Orn. ii. p. 314 (1800, ex Levaill.). 



Philemon cincinnatus, Bonn, et Vieill. Enc. Meth. p. 613 (1823). 



Prosthemadera concinnata. Gray, List Gen. of B. 1840, p. 3. 



CertJiia cincinnata, Forst. Descr. Anim. p. 78 (1844). 



Merop 



3466 (1852) 



Meliph 



Native names. 



Tui and Koko ; the young bird distinguished as Pi-tui or Pikari 



6 pileo toto metallice viridi, cello postico, uropygio et supracaudalibus purpurascentibus : coUo undique fila- 



mentis albis ornato : dorse reliquo et scapularibus cuprescenti-brunneis : ala superne metalUce viridi, 

 tectricibus alarum paullo purpur ascentib as, medianis albo terminatis, fasciam alarem distinctam for- 

 mantibus : remigibiis nigris, extus viridi metallice lavatis, secundariis latius : cauda mgrk, suprk pur- 

 purascenti-viridi nitente: subtus metalUce viridis, versus pectus imum purpurascens : abdomine toto 

 cuprescenti-brunneo : hypechendriis elengatis Isete brunneis : gutture imo fasciculis duobus albis glebosis 

 ornate : subalaribus nigris : subcaudalibus metaUice vu:idibus : restro et pedibus nigricanti-brunneis : 

 iride saturate brunne^. 



? mari similis, sed paullo minor : coloribus sordidioribus : hypechendriis falvescentioribus. 



Juv, schistacee-niger : tectricibus alarum medianis ut in adultis albis : colle plus minusve albicante : rictu flavo : 



iride nigra. 



Male. General plumage shining metallic green, with bluish-purple reflections on the shoulders, rump, and 

 upper tail-coverts ; the hind neck ornamented with a collar of soft filamentous plumes, curving out- 

 wards and with a white line down the centre ; the middle of the back and the scapulars bronzy brown, 

 the latter with blue reflections ; the greater wing-coverts are metallic green, these near the arm of the 

 wing shining blackish purple, and the intermediate ones white in their apical portion, forming a con- 

 spicueus alar bar ; the remiges are black, the primaries having an outer margin of metallic green in 

 their basal portion, this colour spreading en the secondaries till it covers the whole of the web ; tail- 

 feathers metallic green on their upper surface, with purplish reflections ; lower part of breast metallic 

 green changing into purplish blue ; sides and abdomen blackish brown, the long flank-feathers shading 



