Order PASSERES.] [Fait. CERTHIID.E. 



OKTHONYX ALBICILLA. 



(THE WHITE-HEAD.) 



Fringilla albicilla, Less. Voy. Coq. i. p. 662 (1826). 



Paras senilis, Dubus, Bull. Acad. Roy. Brux. vi. pt. 1, p. 297 (1839). 



Certliiparus senilis, Lafr. Eev. Zool. v. p. 69 (1842). 



Certhiparus albicillus, Gray, Voy. Ereb. and Terror, p. 6 (1844). 



Certhiparus cinerea, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7465. 



Mohoual albicilla, Gray, Ibis, p. 220 (1862). 



Orthonyx albicilla, Finsch, J. f. O. 1870, p. 253. 



Native names. 

 Popotea, Poupoutea, Popokotea, and Upokotea. 



Ad. pileo undique et pectore superiore albis : dorso toto brunneo, supracaudalibus pallidioribus : tectricibus 

 alarum dorso concoloribus : remigibus saturate brunneis, extus dorsi colore lavatis, primariis paullo 

 pallidiiis limbatis : pogonio interno flavicanti-albo marginato : cauda fiavicanti-brunnea : pectore medio 

 fulvescenti-albo : corporis lateribus brunneis, dorso concoloribus : subalaribus albis, brunneo lavatis : 

 rostro nigro : tarso et pedibus plumbescenti-nigris, plantis pallidioribus, unguibus brunneis : iride nigra. 



Juv. vix ab adultis distinguendus, sed coloribus dilutioribus et pileo brunneo lavato. 



Adult. Head and neck all round, breast, inner face of the wings, and middle of the abdomen white, 

 slightly tinged with brown ; sides of the body and flanks pale vinous brown ; the whole of the back, 

 rump, and upper surface of wings vinous brown, paler on the upper wing-coverts ; quills blackish brown, 

 the primaries narrowly margined on their outer webs with grey, and more broadly on their inner webs 

 with yellowish white ; tail-feathers and their coverts pale yellowish brown on their upper aspect, some- 

 times tinged with rufous, the shafts darker ; paler on the under surface, with white shafts. Irides black ; 

 bill and rictal bristles black ; tarsi and toes bluish black, with paler soles and brown claws. Total 

 length 5'7 inches; wing, from flexure, 29 ; tail 2 - 75; bill, along the ridge *4, along the edge of lower 

 mandible - 5; tarsus 1 ; middle toe and claw - 8; hind toe and claw '6. 



Young. Upper parts pale vinous brown, whitish on the head ; throat and underparts greyish white, shading 

 into brown on the sides; wings tinged with yellow on their inner edges. 



This interesting little bird is distributed all over the North Island, but is replaced in the South 

 by a representative species, the Orthonyx ochrocephala or Yellow-head. 



It frequents all wooded localities, but seems to prefer the outskirts of the forest and the low 

 bush fringing the banks of rivers and streams. It is gregarious in its nature ; and the report of 

 a gun, the ciy of a Hawk, or any other exciting cause will instantly bring a flock of them 



