104 



Mr. Ogilvie Grant, who had arrived independently at the same conclusion from an examina- 

 tion of specimens sent home by Lord Banfurly, writes in the Bull. B.O.C. (vol. xv., p. 82): 

 " This species has been generally confounded with the closely allied form, A. clitoris, Sparrm., 

 but the adult male may be at once recognised by the wide and strongly defined white eyebrow 

 stripe, and by having the mantle and back of a bright sap-green colour, the rump and upper tail- 

 coverts yellow, faintly tinged with greenish, but contrasting strongly with the back ; and the sides, 

 flanks, and under tail-coverts bright yellow; iris and bill black, legs brown, feet light yellow. 



" The adult female differs chiefly from the female of A. clitoris in having the feathers of the 

 head and nape light brown with marginal streaks of black (as in the immature bird) ; the 

 superciliary stripe white and very strongly defined : the back dark olive-brown, indistinctly 

 streaked with blackish in younger birds; the rump and upper tail-coverts brownish yellow. 



" Young birds may be distinguished from the young of A. clitoris by having less green on the 

 upper parts, only the rump and outer margins of the quills being tinged with olive. The pale 

 brown black-edged feathers, confined to the head and nape in the young of A. clitoris, extend 

 over the back in the present species, and the spotting on the throat and breast is much 

 bolder." 



Order PASSEEIFOEMES.] 



[Family XENICIM]. 



XENICUS LONGIPES. 



(BUSH-WEEN.) 



Xenicus longipes (Gmelin), Buller, Birds of New Zealand, vol. i., p. 108. 



At Milford Sound I met with Xenicus longipes — a single one, which I managed to secure 

 undamaged with a charge of dust-shot. The bird has a rapid, furtive way of moving about, 

 keeping, as a rule, near the ground, and hunting for its food among the mosses and fungi covering 

 the roots of the trees. When I first saw it, and excited its attention by an imitation of its feeble 

 cry, it hopped about on a branch quite close to me, and several times opened its mouth, after the 

 manner of a young bird, but without making any sound. It was very active, not remaining for 

 one moment in the same position. It soon became indifferent to my simulated call, retired to 

 some distance, then descended to the ground and hopped about, apparently looking for food, and 

 moving so swiftly that I found it very difficult to get a shot. The specimen proved to be a 

 young bird, but it has exactly the same colours as the adult, although somewhat duller. In this 

 respect it differs from the allied genus, Acanthidositta. 



I saw another bird a few weeks later on Stewart Island. It was in a low shrub by the 

 roadside, and on my approach descended quickly to the ground, but it was so nimble in its 

 movements that I was unable to get a shot at it. 



Mr. Brough, to whom I was indebted for some beautiful specimens of the Bush- Wren some 

 years ago, writes giving me an account of a subsequent visit to the locality whence he obtained 

 these birds — the low woods under the Tasman Bange. He says : " When I went back this year 



