FiNSCH. — On New Zealand Ornithology. 67 



and sex. Von Pelzeln has lately discovered that 0. australis and Iracliyp- 

 terus cannot be speciJ&cally different ; whilst Schlegel acknowledges the 

 last as a distinct species, and on the other hand is inclined .to class O. earli 

 as the same species with 0. australis. The difference in size, which, accord- 

 ing to him, is the principal distinguishing feature, is nevertheless of an 

 inconclusive nature. 0. Irachypterits should thus be distinguished from 

 australis by remarkable difference in size : nevertheless the measurements 

 which Lafresnaye has given agree throughout with those of 0. australis. 

 According to G-ray's measurements, 0. australis is larger even than Schlegel's 

 0. h'acliypterus. Also, with regard to colour, it is very difficult to show a 

 decisive difference in the three species. In my opinion, 0. irachypterus is 

 the immature plumage of 0. earli, which latter species is distinguished by the 

 brown colour of the bill and legs, the prevailing rust-red colour of the whole, 

 and the almost unobservable gray marks on the head, chin, and throat (22). 



Mallus assimilis, Grray, together with S,. dieffeiibaolii, celehensis, Quoy, 

 and some other allied species, belong to the genus or sub-genus Sypotcenidia. 

 Their specific independence is nevertheless very doubtful ; in any case it 

 would be well for the present not to separate them from the Australian 

 R. pectoralis, Less., {philippensis, Knsch). Concerning the latter, we know 

 from Peale's account that the cinnamon-coloured band on the breast is 

 sometimes absent. It lias an extensive range over Australia, Celebes, many of 

 the South Sea Islands — Viti, Samoa, Tahiti — as far as the Philippines. 

 (See " Ornith. Cent. Polyn.," p. 157.) 



Concerning the habits of Ortygometra taiuensis, which embraces all 

 Australia and most of Eastern and Central Polynesian Islands, see 

 " Ornith. Cent. Polyn.," p. 169. 



Ortygometra affinis can scarcely be classed as a distinct species from 

 O.palustris, G-ould (23). 



Pam. AwATiDiE. — Of the seven species of duck which we know to frequent 

 Kew Zealand, only one. Anas sioperciliosa, has a wider range ; the remaining 

 six species are peculiar to the islands. This richness in the duck tribe must 

 be recorded as a remarkable peculiarity of the New Zealand ornithology. 

 The total want of Anseres is less to be wondered at, since Australia also is 

 very poor in native species (24). 



The specific differences between Podiceps riifipectus and the Australian 

 P. polibcepJialus, Jard., (nestor, G-ould,) must remain doubtful until we 

 possess distinguishing features of a more decided character than those 

 hitherto described. The bird drawn by Q-ray (" Erebus and Terror," pi. 19) 

 has certainly not yet attained its adult plumage. 



Pam. PnocELLAEiDiE. — Grould gives, in his "Birds of Australia," a list of 

 Only thirty-four species belonging to this country, of which, however, some 



