74 



dark brown mixed with rufous ; throat, fore part of neck, breast, and sides of the body pure white, with 

 numerous longitudinal streaks of brown, each feather having a broad mark down the centre ; lining of 

 wings fulvous white or pale fawn-colour ; femoral plumes and under tail-coverts crossed with broad 

 arrow-head marks of brown. Bill pale brown, darker at the base, and yellowish on the lower man- 

 dible ; irides reddish brown, inclining in some to yellow ; bare skin surrounding the eyes dull green ; 

 tarsi and toes greenish yellow ; claws dark brown. Total length 165 inches ; extent of wings 21 ; 

 wing, from flexure, 7 - 5 ; tail 9*75 ; bill along the ridge 1, along the edge of lower mandible l - 4; tarsus 

 15; longer fore toe and claw 1*4, longer hind toe and claw 1*25. 



Adult female. Slightly smaller than the male, and with the tints of the plumage duller, the purple gloss on 

 the upper parts being scarcely perceptible. 



Young. Upper surface blackish brown, marked on the crown with narrow streaks, on the hind neck with 

 fusiform, and on the back with rounded spots of fulvous yellow ; quills and tail-feathers blackish brown, 

 barred and tipped with fulvous brown. Under surface pale cinnamon-brown ; on each side of the 

 throat two longitudinal streaks, and on the breast and sides of the body broad shaft-lines of dusky 

 black ; under tail-coverts barred and tibial plumes crossed with marks of the same colour in the form 

 of an inverted V . Bill yellowish brown ; tarsi and toes greenish yellow. 



Obs. In examples of the young birds much difference is observable both in the ground-tints and in the 

 markings of the plumage. Some are much darker than others, and have the spots on the upper surface 

 pale rufous instead of fulvous yellow ; in others, again, they are yellowish white : some have the 

 barred markings on the tail-feathers vexy obscure, while in others they are as distinct as in the adult, 

 although not so regular in form. The figure of the adult was taken from an example in the collection of 

 Dr. Otto Finsch, and that of the young bird from one in the Bremen Museum, both specimens having 

 been kindly forwarded to me for that purpose. 



The illustration which precedes this article, although it may have the appearance of an exaggera- 

 tion, is in reality a true picture of bird-life. The Long-tailed Cuckoo, which is a native of the 

 warm islands of the South Pacific, visits our country in the summer and breeds with us ; but the 

 task of rearing its young is entrusted to the Grey Warbler (Geryyone flavivarfris), figured in our 

 Plate — a species that performs the same friendly office for the Shining Cuckoo (Chrysoeoccyx 

 tncidus), another summer visitant. 



Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub, in their valuable work on the Birds of Central Polynesia, record 

 the occurrence of this species in Samoa, as well as in the Friendly, the Society, the Marquesas, 

 and the Fiji groups of islands ; but although it migrates to New Zealand, there is no mention of 

 its occurrence in any part of Australia or Tasmania. 



It begins to arrive about the second week in October, but is not numerous till the following 

 month, when the pairing commences. It is, however, somewhat irregularly dispersed over the 

 country ; for in the far north it is at all times a very rare bird. In the southern portion of the 

 North Island, and throughout the wooded parts of the South Island, it is comparatively common. 

 It is seminocturnal in its habits, and its long, shrill cry at night is generally the first intimation 

 we get that it has arrived in the land. It appears to be most plentiful in November and Decem- 

 ber, becoming scarcer in January and disappearing altogether by the end of February. I have a 

 note, however, of its occurrence at Otaki (in the North Island) as late as the first week in April. 



