62 Transactions. 



described by Porster — with its different male and female plumage. S, brun- 

 nea, G-ould, resembles tbe female in colour. 



Circus gouldi is a synonym for C. assimilis (Jard. and Selb.), a species 

 wMcb is spread over all Australia and Tasmania, as far as Celebes, and east- 

 ward to tbe Viti Islands. 



See Einscb and Hart, '' Ornitbology of Central Polynesia," p. 7, and Von 

 Pelzeln, "Transactions of the Eoyal Zool. and Bot. Society," 1867 (6). 



Eam. SiEiGHDiE. — Of Strix haasti we must wait for a more accurate 

 description before we can enrol it as a new species. It appears not quite 

 impossible tbat it may be identical witb a known species. Besides the two 

 species described by Mr. Buller, viz., Atliene novce-zealandics and alhifacies, 

 a " dwarf horned owl ;" Scops iiov(S-zealandicB, Bp., occurs also in New Zealand 

 [and Slrix delicatula, which ranges over the whole southern hemisphere]. 

 See " Ornith. of Cent. Polyn.,"p. 11. The supposed small and still unknown 

 owl of Mr. Buller is perhaps referable to Scops novce-zealandicB (7). 



Eam. ALCEDiNiDiE. — The real native country of Halcyon cinnamomintts, 

 Sws., does not appear to be yet fully determined, and Lesson's account makes 

 the matter still more doubtful ; but we may assume it for certain that the 

 species does not inhabit New Zealand at all. The Leiden Museum possesses 

 specimens collected during the expeditions of Coquille and Von Dorch, at 

 New Gruinea, and the Marianne Island, Guam. In all probability the last- 

 named group is its true habitat (8) . 



Eam. IJpuPiDjE. — Concerning the Huia, compare, besides Dieffenbach's 

 " New Zealand," I., p. 167, also Layard's interesting notes in the " Ibis," 

 1863, p. 2M. 



Pam. MELiPiiAGiDiE. — A new species of Antlwrnis {rujiceps) has been 

 lately described by Herr Von Pelzeln. The number of Meliphagidcc includes 

 seven species, since Mimics carunculatus, Buller, belongs also to the family 

 under the name of Antliochcsra (9) . 



, Fam. Cebthiad J3. — Molwua alhicilla appears to be properly a Gertliiparus, 

 as Gr. E-. Grray intimated formerly (10) . 



Fam. LusciisriDiE. — The sudden appearance of the little Zosterops-\\ndi of 

 bird in New Zealand has already been mentioned by E-. Taylor (" Ann. and 

 Mag. Nat. Hist.," March, 1866). The bird is in reahty a Zosterops, namely, 

 lateralis (Lath.), dorsalis (Vig. and Horsf.) ; the same species which inhabits 

 also Australia and Tasmania. The Museum at Vienna received specimens of 

 it from Dr. Haast, New Zealand, (Pelzeln, " Trans, of Zool. and Bot. Society," 

 1867, p. 316), (11). 



Pam. MuscrcAPiDiE. — The Australian Wiipidura alhiscapa, Gould, is quite 

 different from [corresponds with] B. fiabellifera. B. melanura is identical 

 with liuscicapa fuliginosa, Sparrm., which latter comes from New Zealand, 



