BuLLER. — On the Ornilhology of New Zealand. 115 



examining the type in the British Museum, I pronounced it " nothing hut 

 PI. novce-zealandice with the red uropygial spots accidentally absent" (" Birds of 

 New Zealand," p. 59). 



Certhiparus novce-zealandice, Gml. 



Captain Hutton was quite right in uniting G. maculicaudus with this 

 species. But Dr. Finsch was mistaken in supposing that his specimens were 

 " from both islands," because this bird has never yet been met with in the 

 North Island. 



I exaraiBfed, with the late Mr. Gr. B. Gray, his type of G. maculicaudus in 

 the British Museum, but failed to see anything to distinguish it specifically 

 from G. novce-zealandice. 



Rhipidura fuliginosa, Sparrm. 



Dr. Pinsch " hesitates to unite R. melanura" with the above species, 

 because he has never met with specimens having " a white spot above the 

 eye." There can be no dou.bt, I think, that both names refer to one and the 

 same species. The white spot (not above the eye, but on the side of the head 

 behind it) is often wanting. I have obtained specimens both with and with- 

 out this feature, at the same time and consorting together, in the Round Bush, 

 near Kaiapoi. 



The interbreeding of this species with the Pied Fantail {R. Jiahelli/era), 

 as described by Mr. Potts in his admirable papers on the nesting habits of 

 New Zealand birds, is a most interesting fact. And it is very remarkable that, 

 whereas the pied species is nniversally distributed over the country, the 

 Black Fantail is not found in the North Island, only one instance being 

 recorded of its occurrence there ("Birds of New Zealand," p. 146). 



Turnagra hectori, BuUer. 



I do not dispute Dr. Finsch's identification of this bird with Kerojna 

 tanagra. My reason, however, for retaining the specific appellation of 

 T. hectori is thus stated in my "Birds of New Zealand" (p. 136): — " Under 

 ordinary circumstances the name I have proposed would, of course, be reduced 

 to a synonym. It will be observed, however, that Professor Schlegel has used 

 a common generic name to distinguish the bird specifically, while he refers 

 the form to the genus Otagon, established by Bonaparte in 1850. As I can 

 see no valid reason for setting aside the generic title of Turnagra, proposed by 

 Lesson as early as 1837, and as the adoption of the older specific name would, 

 according to this view, give the confused result of Turnagra tanagra, I have 

 deemed myself justified in retaining the distinctive appellation of T. hectori. 

 At the same time I am anxious to give due prominence to the fact that 

 Professor Schlegel was the first to discover the existence of this wgw 

 species." 



