﻿BuLLEE. 
  — 
  FtiriJicr 
  Coniribulions 
  to 
  the 
  Ornilhologu 
  of 
  Xcw 
  Zealand. 
  039 
  

  

  Islands, 
  is 
  very 
  distinct 
  in 
  appearance 
  from 
  all 
  tliosc 
  enumerated 
  above. 
  

   The 
  so-called 
  " 
  P.furstcri," 
  referred 
  to 
  above, 
  labelled 
  as 
  from 
  tbc 
  main 
  

   island 
  Otalieiti, 
  appears 
  to 
  bold 
  an 
  intermediate 
  position 
  between 
  P. 
  ulietanns 
  

   and 
  P. 
  pacificus. 
  It 
  lias 
  tbc 
  general 
  plumage 
  of 
  P. 
  2^acijicus 
  but 
  of 
  mucli 
  

   duller 
  tints, 
  mixed 
  with 
  brown 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  parts 
  and 
  clouded 
  with 
  a 
  colder 
  

   green 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  x^'T'i't^^' 
  It 
  wants 
  the 
  crimson 
  vertex 
  ; 
  but 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  

   frontal 
  patch 
  of 
  brownish 
  black 
  corresponding 
  to 
  the 
  colour 
  of 
  P. 
  nUctninis, 
  

   which 
  changes 
  to 
  crimson 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  eyes 
  ;. 
  behind 
  which, 
  also, 
  there 
  is 
  

   a 
  small 
  obscure 
  spot 
  of 
  dull 
  crimson. 
  It 
  has 
  the 
  concealed 
  nuchal 
  patch 
  of 
  

   yellowish 
  white, 
  which 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  Z'. 
  pacificus 
  ; 
  while, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  it 
  

   has 
  the 
  bright 
  crimson 
  rump 
  which 
  is 
  characteristic 
  of 
  P. 
  nlietanits. 
  The 
  

   tail 
  has 
  a 
  dingy, 
  washed-out 
  appearance, 
  and 
  the 
  colours 
  of 
  the 
  plumage 
  

   generally 
  are 
  very 
  undecided. 
  The 
  bill 
  and 
  feet 
  are 
  exactly 
  as 
  in 
  P. 
  vlietainis, 
  

   cf 
  which 
  species 
  this 
  bird 
  may 
  be 
  an 
  accidental 
  variety, 
  or 
  possibly, 
  a 
  hybrid. 
  

   There 
  is 
  a 
  specimen 
  of 
  our 
  P. 
  novce-zcalandioi, 
  cxliibiting 
  much 
  bright 
  yellov; 
  

   mixed 
  with 
  the 
  green 
  on 
  the 
  abdomen 
  and 
  under 
  tail-coverts. 
  It 
  likewise 
  

   has 
  the 
  thigh-spots 
  very 
  largo 
  and 
  bright 
  ; 
  the 
  rump 
  stained, 
  and 
  the 
  tail 
  

   obscurely 
  banded 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  surface 
  with 
  dull 
  yellow. 
  Another 
  (collected 
  

   by 
  Strange) 
  has 
  a 
  single 
  bright 
  yellow 
  feather 
  on 
  the 
  abdomen, 
  and, 
  accord- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  the 
  collector, 
  the 
  irides 
  also 
  were 
  yeUow. 
  

  

  Nestoe 
  meeidionalis, 
  Gray. 
  — 
  Kaka 
  Parrot, 
  

  

  A 
  curious 
  circumstance 
  in 
  the 
  natural 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  kaka 
  has 
  lately 
  

   come 
  to 
  my 
  knowledge. 
  At 
  a 
  certain 
  season 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  when 
  this 
  bird 
  is 
  

   excessively 
  fat, 
  large 
  numbers 
  of 
  them 
  are 
  found 
  washed 
  ashore 
  in 
  Golden 
  

   Bay, 
  or 
  on 
  the 
  Spit 
  which 
  runs 
  out 
  from 
  it. 
  They 
  are 
  generally 
  dead, 
  but 
  if 
  

   not, 
  are 
  so 
  exhausted 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  unable 
  to 
  take 
  wing. 
  The 
  apparent 
  

   explanation 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  kakas 
  in 
  their 
  migration 
  across 
  Cook 
  Strait, 
  which 
  

   is 
  Avidest 
  at 
  this 
  part, 
  arc 
  unable 
  to 
  maintain 
  the 
  long 
  flight, 
  owing 
  to 
  

   their 
  fat 
  and 
  heavy 
  condition, 
  and 
  fall 
  into 
  the 
  sea. 
  The 
  set 
  of 
  the 
  current 
  

   being 
  towards 
  Cape 
  Farewell, 
  the 
  bodies 
  of 
  the 
  perishing 
  birds 
  are 
  swept 
  in 
  

   that 
  dh'ection, 
  and 
  finally 
  cast 
  ashore. 
  

  

  Halcyon 
  vagans, 
  Gray. 
  — 
  N.Z. 
  Kingfisher. 
  

  

  On 
  driving 
  round 
  Porirua 
  harbour 
  on 
  the 
  lOtli 
  July 
  last, 
  I 
  noticed 
  an 
  

   unusual 
  number 
  of 
  kingfishers 
  perched 
  on 
  the 
  rocks 
  along 
  the 
  beach, 
  and 
  

   on 
  the 
  telegraph 
  wires 
  stretched 
  across 
  the 
  numerous 
  little 
  bays. 
  They 
  

   Were 
  evidently 
  attracted 
  by 
  the 
  shoals 
  of 
  little 
  fish 
  that 
  were 
  frequenting 
  the 
  

   shallow 
  water 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  ; 
  and 
  at 
  one 
  spot 
  I 
  had 
  an 
  ocular 
  demonstration 
  

   of 
  my 
  argument 
  with 
  Captain 
  Hutton,* 
  which 
  I 
  should 
  like 
  him 
  to 
  have 
  

   witnessed. 
  " 
  Ten 
  little 
  kingfishers 
  sitting 
  in 
  a 
  row 
  " 
  were 
  in 
  possession 
  of 
  

  

  * 
  Trans. 
  N.Z. 
  Inet., 
  Vol. 
  VI., 
  p. 
  laO. 
  

  

  Al7 
  

  

  