

^^1 



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110 



in common with Xenicus longipes and X. gilviventris, which inhabit the mainland, it is a 

 very distinct species, apparently restricted in its habitat to Stephen Island, where several 

 specimens have been procured. Being anxious that a coloured figure of so rare and interesting 

 a form should be published in the 'Ibis,' I lost no time in forwarding the specimen to the 

 Editors of that magazine, together with the following description and diagnosis of the species : — 



Projecting into Cook Strait as a bold and salient point from the eastern shore of Blind Bay, and 

 rising to a height of 2,180 feet, is D'Urville Island, presenting a broken and partially wooded surface. With 

 a width of from five to six miles, it stretches away seventeen miles to the northward, whilst to the south 

 it is separated from the mainland by a very narrow channel known as the French Pass. Lying two 

 miles to the north-eastward of the northern extremity of D'Urville Island, and rising abruptly from the 

 sea to the height of a thousand feet, is Stephen Island, only about a square mile in extent, and more or 

 less wooded on its sides. From this island I have lately received a single specimen of a species of 

 Xenicus entirely distinct from the two forms (X. longipes and X. gilviventris) inhabiting the mainland. 



I have described and named this new bird, which may fittingly be called the Island Wren, as 

 distinguished from our Bush Wren and Kock Wren; and as these island forms present features of special 

 interest to the student of geographic zoology, I am forwarding the specimen in the hope that it may be 

 figured. . • .. .. j-f /- r . • r ; , ■ , .J : r ? , " -....- ■.., ■ , , ..j. ; r ,, r:f :./ 



My correspondent on the island informs me that the bird is semi-nocturnal in its habits, and that 

 he has seen three examples, all of which were brought in at different times by the cat. 



I hope shortly to receive further specimens of this interesting form. In the meantime I regret that 

 I am unable to give the sex of the bird here described. In plumage it differs conspicuously from the 

 other two species, and it has a decidedly more robust bill, whilst the claw on the hind-toe is not larger 

 than in Xenicus longipes. 



Xenicus insularis , sp. nov. 



Upper surface generally dark-olive with brown margins to the feathers, presenting an obscurely spotted 

 or 1 rnottled appearance; a minute whitish spot in front of and another underneath the eye; a narrow, 

 superciliary streak, and the whole of the throat, fore-neck, and breast, as well as the wings at their 

 flexure, olivaceous yellow with darker margins ; wings and tail, sides of the body, abdomen, rump, and 

 under tail-coverts, olivaceous brown. Plumage underneath plumbeous. Upper mandible dark brown with 

 horn-coloured tip; under mandible, legs and feet, pale brown. Length 4 in. ; wing, from flexure, 2 in. ; 

 tail, 0'75 in.; bill, along the ridge, 07& in!; 1 along the edge of lower mandible, 0*75 in. ; tarsus, 0'75 in. ; 

 middle toe and claw, 1 in. ; hind-toe and claw, 0'7 in. 



Hah. Stephen Island, Cook Strait, N.Z. 



I have since secured a female specimen. It is somewhat smaller than the other, which 

 is obviously a male, and has duller plumage, the mottled appearance on the upper surface 

 being less conspicuous, and there being more vinous-brown on the sides and abdomen. 



My description, as quoted above, appeared in the 'Ibis,' 1895, pp. 236-237, accompanied by 

 a beautiful plate from the pencil of Mr. Keulemans. Unfortunately, the preparation of this 

 plate delayed the publication of my paper three months, and in the meantime Mr. Bothschild 

 received the bird from Mr. Henry Travers. Mr. Eothschild's description of Traversia lyalli 

 appeared in the same number of the 'Ibis,' but later on, pp. 268-269. It had, however, 

 previously been announced in the ' Bulletin of the ' British Ornithologists' Club,' issued on 

 December 29th, 1894. 



In the immediately subsequent number of the ' Ibis ' (1895, p. 407) the Editors inserted 

 the following explanatory statement : — 



"Note on Xenicus insularis. — The bird described and figured under this name in the last 

 number of the 'Ibis' (above, p. 236, PL vii.) is identical with Mr. Eothschild's Traversia 

 lyalli, 'Bull. B.O.C.,' No. 22, p. x., and above, p. 269. There can be no question that the latter 

 name has precedence in point of date of publication. Sir Walter Buller's description, together 



