Oedeb PASSEEES.] [Fam. STURNID^E. 



CEEADION CAEUNCULATUS. 



(THE SADDLE-BACK.) 



Wattled Stare, Lath. Gen. Syn. iii. p. 9, pi. 36 (1783). 



Sturnus carunculatus, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 805 (1788, ex Lath.). 



C reaction pliar oides, Bonn, et Vieill. Enc. Meth. p. 874 (1823). 



Icterus rufusater, Less. Voy. Coq. i. p. 649, pi. xxiii. fig. 1 (1826). 



Xanthornus carunculatus, Quoy et Gaim. Voy. de l'Astr. i. p. 212, pi. 12. fig. 4 (1830). 



Oxystomus carunculatus, Swains. Classif. of B. ii. p. 270 (1837). 



Creadio carunculatus, Cab. Mus. Hein. Th. i. p. 218 (1850). 



Creadion cinereus, Buller, Essay N.-Z. Orn. p. 10 (1865). 



Native names. — Tieke, Tiraweke, and Purourou. 



c? ad. nitide niger : dorso cum tectricibus alarum, supracaudalibus et subcaudalibus lsete ferrugineis : carun- 

 culis rictalibus miniatis : rostro et pedibus nigris : iride nigricanti-brunnea. 



2 mari similis, sed minor et carunculis minoribus distinguenda. 



Juv. (C. cinereus, Buller) cinerascenti-brunneus, subtus pallidior: scapularibus alisque umbrino lavatis: supra- 

 caudalibus et subcaudalibus lsete rufesceutibus : tectricibus alarum minimis rufo maculatis. 



Adult male. General plumage glossy black ; back, wing-coverts, upper and lower tail-coverts bright ferru- 

 ginous. Irides blackish brown ; bill and legs black ; wattles varying in tint from a clear yellow to a 

 bright vermilion, being apparently affected by physical conditions, such as the health of the bird or 

 the temperature of the weather. Total length 10 inches ; extent of wings 12*5 ; wing, from flexure, 4; 

 tail 3'5; bill, along the ridge l - 25, along the edge of lower mandible 1*4; tarsus 1*5; middle toe and 

 claw 1-25 ; hind toe and claw 1*1. 



Female. Of inferior size to the male, and having the wattles much reduced. 



Young. The entire plumage dark cinereous brown, paler on the underparts, and tinged with umber on the 

 wings and scapulars ; the upper and lower tail-coverts and a few spots on the small wing-coverts bright 

 rufous. 



i 



Obs. After examining the specimens in the Canterbury Museum exhibiting transitional states of plumage, 

 I cannot resist the conclusion that my C. cinereus is nothing but the young of this species ; but it is a 

 very remarkable circumstance that it has never yet been met with by myself or, so far as I am aware, 

 by any other collector in the North Island. Dr. Haast's southern series consists of four specimens, all 

 obtained in one locality : — No. 1 has the entire plumage cinereous brown, tinged with rufous, the upper 

 and lower tail-coverts and the margins of the smaller wing-coverts dull rufous, and the fleshy wattles 



X 



