BuLLER. — On the Ornithology of New Zealand. 117 



of a fine series of specimens in the Canterbuiy Museum, showing the 

 transitional changes of plumage. 



I communicated the result to Capt. Hutton long before the appearance of 

 his *' Catalogue," and the descriptive notes which I made at the time will be 

 found at page 149 of my " Birds of New Zealand." 



I confess, however, that the subject is still beset with some difficulty in 

 my own mind. Supposing the plumage of C. cinereus to be the first year's 

 dress of C. carunculatus, it seems to me quite inexplicable that the bird has 

 never been met with in that state in the North Island. Capt. Hutton 

 suggests that this is due to the comparative scarcity of the species at the 

 North. But during several years' residence in the Province of Wellington I 

 obtained probably upwards of fifty specimens, at various times, without ever 

 detecting any sign of this immature condition of plumage. 



Admitting the comparative scarcity of the species, one would naturally 

 suppose that the younger birds would be more likely to fall into the collector's 

 hands than the fully adult ones. It may be suggested whether the condition 

 of the Canterbury Museum specimens has not possibly resulted from inter- 

 crossing ; for we have not heard of any further examples being obtained. At 

 any rate, till a specimen in the supposed immature dress has actually been 

 taken in the North Island, the point cannot, I think, be considered finally set 

 at rest. 



In Dr. Dieffenbach's Report to the New Zealand Company, which appears 

 in the twelfth Beport of the Directors (April, 1844), I find the following 

 mention of this species : — " Amongst the thrushes I must name, first, the 

 Tierawaki, with two yellow appendages at the angle of its mouth, of the form 

 and dimensions of a cucumber seed. This bird is of the size of a blackbird, 

 with beak and feet similar to those parts in the latter. Its plumage is a 

 glossy black ; the cover-feathers of its wing and its back are of a fine red 

 brown. I saw a variety, or perhaps another species, with plumage of variable 

 shades of sepia." 



Ajjlonis obscurus, Du Bus. 



Both this species and Aplonis zealancUcus (G-ray) were omitted in my work, 

 as I could not find the smallest evidence of the type specimens having come 

 from New Zealand. 



Eallus philippensis, Linn. 



I entirely concur with Dr. Finsch regarding the wide geographic range of 

 this species, the plumage being too variable to admit of the recognition of 

 several local species, as some naturalists have suggested. But I cannot think 

 that he is justified in retaining M. Lesson's name oi Rallus pectoralis. 



Allowing that the varieties that have been brought from Polynesia proper, 



