﻿368 
  Transactions. 
  — 
  Zoology. 
  

  

  Circus 
  gouldi, 
  Bonap., 
  N.Z. 
  Harrier. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  worth 
  recording 
  that 
  tlie 
  Harrier 
  will 
  sometimes 
  pursue 
  on 
  the 
  

   wing. 
  Eiding 
  along 
  the 
  road 
  near 
  the 
  Whenuakura 
  river, 
  I 
  observed 
  a 
  

   kahu 
  pursuing 
  a 
  small 
  buxl 
  (apparently 
  a 
  ground 
  lark) 
  high 
  in 
  the 
  air. 
  The 
  

   pursuit 
  was 
  continued 
  for 
  a 
  considerable 
  time, 
  the 
  hawk 
  making 
  frequent 
  

   swoops 
  and 
  the 
  small 
  bird 
  eluding 
  its 
  grasp 
  by 
  suddenly 
  altering 
  its 
  course, 
  

   and 
  thus 
  gaining 
  on 
  its 
  pursuer. 
  When 
  nearly 
  out 
  of 
  sight 
  the 
  hawk 
  was 
  

   joined 
  by 
  another, 
  both 
  in 
  pursuit 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  bird, 
  from 
  which 
  circum- 
  

   stance 
  I 
  conclude 
  that 
  the 
  raptor 
  was 
  foraging 
  for 
  hungry 
  ones 
  at 
  home. 
  

   This 
  might 
  account 
  for 
  the 
  eagerness 
  of 
  the 
  pursuit, 
  and 
  for 
  a 
  mode 
  of 
  

   chase 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  never 
  observed 
  before 
  during 
  a 
  very 
  long 
  acquaintance 
  

   with 
  this 
  species. 
  

  

  Platycercus 
  kowleyi, 
  Buller, 
  Trans. 
  N.Z. 
  Inst., 
  Vol. 
  VII., 
  p. 
  220. 
  

  

  So 
  many 
  specimens 
  of 
  this 
  small 
  form 
  have 
  been 
  obtamed 
  in 
  the 
  South 
  

   Island 
  (whereas 
  it 
  never 
  occurs 
  in 
  the 
  North) 
  that 
  I 
  think 
  it 
  may 
  safely 
  be 
  

   admitted 
  into 
  the 
  list 
  of 
  true 
  and 
  accepted 
  species. 
  . 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  been 
  looking 
  over 
  my 
  notes 
  on 
  the 
  series 
  of 
  this 
  group 
  in 
  the 
  

   British 
  Museum, 
  and 
  I 
  find 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  appreciable 
  difference 
  in 
  size 
  

   between 
  my 
  bu'd 
  and 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  Gray's 
  Platycercus 
  aucklandicus, 
  which 
  is, 
  

   I 
  believe, 
  only 
  a 
  small 
  example 
  of 
  P. 
  novce-zealandice. 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  notes 
  to 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  referred 
  may 
  be 
  useful 
  for 
  reference, 
  I 
  have 
  

   transcribed 
  them 
  from 
  my 
  pocket 
  diary. 
  

  

  British 
  Museum 
  Collection. 
  — 
  My 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  types 
  gives 
  the 
  

   following 
  results 
  : 
  — 
  Platycercus 
  aucklandicus 
  not 
  distinguishable 
  from 
  P. 
  

   novcB-zealandicB, 
  but 
  smaller 
  than 
  ordinary 
  examples 
  ; 
  beak 
  decidedly 
  smaller, 
  

   being 
  of 
  same 
  size 
  as 
  in 
  P. 
  auriceps, 
  but 
  lighter 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  ; 
  ear-spots 
  

   indistinct 
  ; 
  frontal 
  spot 
  less 
  extensive, 
  but 
  of 
  same 
  colour 
  as 
  in 
  P. 
  novce- 
  

   zealandice. 
  P. 
  malherbii 
  = 
  P. 
  auriceps, 
  but 
  smaller 
  than 
  average 
  specimens 
  

   of 
  the 
  latter. 
  P. 
  pacijicus 
  similar 
  to 
  P. 
  yiovce-zealandice 
  but 
  much 
  larger, 
  

   with 
  a 
  more 
  robust 
  bill. 
  P. 
  erythrotis, 
  from 
  Macquarie 
  Islands, 
  = 
  P. 
  

   pacijicus, 
  but 
  with 
  lighter 
  plumage. 
  P. 
  forsteri 
  = 
  P. 
  novce-zealandice, 
  with 
  

   the 
  thigh-spots 
  accidentally 
  absent. 
  There 
  is 
  another 
  specimen 
  marked 
  

   "Platycercus 
  forsteri," 
  to 
  which 
  I 
  shall 
  refer 
  again 
  presently, 
  in 
  very 
  

   different 
  plumage. 
  P. 
  cookii 
  =^ 
  P. 
  jjacijicus. 
  P. 
  unicolor, 
  a 
  much 
  larger 
  

   and 
  very 
  distinct 
  species. 
  (See 
  my 
  remarks 
  in 
  Trans. 
  N.Z. 
  Inst., 
  Vol. 
  VI., 
  

   p. 
  121). 
  P. 
  rayneri, 
  fi'om 
  Norfolk 
  Island, 
  is 
  hke 
  P. 
  pacijicus, 
  but 
  larger 
  and 
  

   with 
  a 
  more 
  powerful 
  bill 
  ; 
  the 
  frontal 
  spot 
  is 
  more 
  extensive 
  but 
  Hghter 
  in 
  

   colour 
  ; 
  ear-spot 
  small 
  and 
  obscure 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  P. 
  novce-zealandice. 
  I 
  

   thuak 
  we 
  may 
  pretty 
  safely 
  conclude 
  that 
  P. 
  rayneri 
  is 
  in 
  reahty 
  P. 
  pacijicus, 
  

   although 
  the 
  British 
  Museum 
  specimen 
  is 
  both 
  larger 
  and 
  lighter 
  coloured 
  

   than 
  ordinary 
  specimens 
  of 
  the 
  latter. 
  Platycercus 
  ulietanus, 
  fi-om 
  the 
  Society 
  

  

  