214 Transactions. — Zoology. 



the typical sj)ecimen of 0. earli, Gray, and not having compared it myself, 

 I am unable to make out whether the true earli is, indeed, the bright 

 cinnamon-red bird as Captain Hutton and I believe, or whether it is the 

 same as 0. australis, figured under the name of earli by Dr. Buller."* 

 Captain Hutton, on the other hand, writes me : — " I am sure that you are 

 right about the identification of 0. earli, and I don't understand how Finsch 

 thinks otherwise."! 



Baron A. von Hiigel, who has lately been on a scientific tour through 

 the colonies, writes thus in "The Ibis"|: — "Of New Zealand things I 

 have got a very fah collection — some 300 specimens already. Ocydromus I 

 have, of course, gone in for, and have a lot of notes about it. I don't 

 believe in more than three good species — 0. australis (with endless 

 varieties), 0. fuscus, and 0. earli. The last two are difficult to procure, 

 although I shall doubtless get a series of the latter in the North Island ; 

 but of 0. australis one could get a shipload in a very short time. I have 

 got a splendid series, showing every age from embryo to adult, and varieties 

 to perfection." 



It will be seen, therefore, that the Baron, who comes to the subject 

 with a totally unprejudiced mind, adopts my published division of the 

 species in a very positive manner. 



If, on further investigation, it should be found necessary to add a fourth 

 species, this must be Ocydromus brachypterus, Lafresnaye ; for Dr. Finsch, 

 who appears to have examined the type specimen, affirms distinctly § 

 that it is the same as Hutton's hectori ; and Ca^Dtain Hutton himself 

 admits that this is "very probable." || This is of course the bu-d referred to 

 at page 171 of my " Birds of New Zealand" in the following passage : — "Dr. 

 Hector informs me that on all the high mountains of the Otago province 

 he met with a ' cream-coloured variety,' cons]picuously marked and very 

 readily distinguishable from the common bird. Mr. Buchanan confirms this 

 observation, and states that on the Black Peak, at an elevation of 6,000 feet, 

 he found this light-coloured variety very abundant, but none of the other 

 birds ; the former indeed were so numerous as to prevent his getting any 

 slee|)." 



It seems unfortunate that in obedience to the law of priority in nomen- 

 clature, we must sink a name, very fittingly bestowed, in favour of brachyp- 

 terus, which expresses no distinguishing specific character, being equally 

 appropriate to all the forms of Ocydromus. 



* " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," VII., p. 231. f lb., IX., p. 330. 

 + " The Ibis," July, 1875, p. 393. § " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," VIII, p. 202. 



II " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," IX., p. SCO. 



