﻿352 
  Transactions. 
  — 
  Zoology. 
  

  

  sexual 
  character, 
  I 
  dissected 
  the 
  wliole 
  of 
  tlie 
  twenty 
  specimens, 
  witli 
  tlie 
  

   following 
  result: 
  — 
  Of 
  P. 
  banksii 
  there 
  were 
  four 
  males 
  and 
  four 
  females; 
  

   of 
  P. 
  turhir 
  there 
  were 
  seven 
  males 
  and 
  five 
  females. 
  In 
  some 
  cases, 
  owing 
  

   to 
  the 
  state 
  of 
  the 
  productive 
  organs 
  at 
  this 
  season 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  (first 
  week 
  

   in 
  July), 
  I 
  was 
  unable 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  sex 
  wdth 
  absolute 
  certainty. 
  

   In 
  others, 
  however, 
  the 
  testes 
  were 
  sufficiently 
  conspicuous 
  ; 
  while 
  in 
  two 
  

   females 
  of 
  P. 
  turtur 
  and 
  in 
  one 
  of 
  P. 
  haiiksU 
  I 
  was 
  able 
  to 
  detect 
  a 
  bunch 
  

   of 
  undeveloped 
  eggs. 
  The 
  examination 
  in 
  this 
  respect 
  Avas 
  therefore 
  con- 
  

   clusive, 
  and 
  I 
  have 
  now 
  no 
  hesitation 
  iu 
  admitting 
  P. 
  banksii 
  into 
  the 
  list 
  of 
  

   well 
  established 
  species. 
  Diagnosis 
  : 
  — 
  Similis 
  P. 
  turturi, 
  sed 
  rostro 
  latiore, 
  

   pileo 
  saturatioro 
  et 
  cauda 
  nigro 
  latius 
  terminata 
  distinguendus. 
  

  

  All 
  the 
  specimens 
  picked 
  up 
  by 
  me 
  on 
  this 
  occasion 
  were 
  dead, 
  with 
  the 
  

   exception 
  of 
  the 
  Prion 
  banksii, 
  now 
  exhibited. 
  I 
  found 
  this 
  one 
  on 
  the 
  

   sandy 
  beach, 
  where 
  the 
  surf 
  had 
  left 
  him, 
  sitting 
  up 
  in 
  wet 
  and 
  draggled 
  

   plumage, 
  looking 
  the 
  very 
  picture 
  of 
  abject 
  misery. 
  Beside 
  him 
  stood 
  a 
  

   seagull 
  (Lams 
  dominicanus) 
  patiently 
  waiting 
  for 
  his 
  victim 
  to 
  succumb 
  

   before 
  commencing 
  his 
  savoury 
  feast, 
  when 
  the 
  unbidden 
  guest 
  appeared 
  in 
  

   the 
  guise 
  of 
  a 
  naturalist 
  ! 
  

  

  Dr. 
  Finsch 
  refers 
  the 
  Prion 
  vittatus, 
  and 
  P. 
  banksii 
  of 
  Hutton's 
  " 
  Cata- 
  

   logue," 
  to 
  P. 
  banksii, 
  Smith, 
  and 
  P. 
  turtur, 
  Sol., 
  respectively, 
  and 
  he 
  is 
  

   certainly 
  right 
  in 
  doing 
  so; 
  for 
  Prof. 
  Hutton 
  gives 
  his 
  /-*. 
  banksii 
  a 
  bill 
  only 
  

   the 
  decimal 
  part 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  broader 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  P. 
  turtur, 
  while 
  he 
  makes 
  

   that 
  of 
  P. 
  vittatus 
  only 
  'G. 
  On 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  figures 
  accomj)anying 
  my 
  

   paper 
  in 
  Vol. 
  VII., 
  it 
  Avill 
  be 
  seen 
  that 
  the 
  width 
  of 
  the 
  bill 
  in 
  the 
  true 
  

   P. 
  banksii 
  is 
  -55, 
  and 
  in 
  P. 
  vittatus 
  -85. 
  

  

  Dr. 
  Finsch 
  agrees 
  with 
  me 
  in 
  sinking 
  Gould's 
  Prion 
  arid, 
  as 
  it 
  cannot 
  

   be 
  separated 
  from 
  P. 
  turtur; 
  and 
  he 
  unhesitatingly 
  refers 
  the 
  bird 
  described 
  

   by 
  Mr. 
  Potts 
  under 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  Prion 
  australis 
  to 
  P. 
  vittatus. 
  Dr. 
  Hector 
  

   having 
  forwarded 
  him 
  a 
  specimen 
  for 
  examination. 
  Not 
  having 
  seen 
  the 
  

   type 
  of 
  P. 
  australis, 
  I 
  accept 
  Dr. 
  Finsch's 
  determination 
  ; 
  but 
  it 
  must 
  be 
  

   borne 
  in 
  mind 
  that 
  Mr. 
  Gould, 
  who 
  w^as 
  quite 
  familiar 
  with 
  P. 
  vittatus, 
  

   declares 
  positively 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  another 
  and 
  broader-billed 
  species, 
  adding, 
  

   however, 
  " 
  the 
  precise 
  latitudes 
  iu 
  which 
  this 
  fine 
  bird 
  flies 
  are 
  unknown 
  

   to 
  me." 
  

  

  