Oedeb PASSERES.] 
[Fait. SYLYIED/E. 
MIRO AUSTRALIS. 
(NORTH-ISLAND ROBIN.) 
Turdus australis, Sparrm. Mus. Carls, iii. pi. 69 (1788). 
Muscicapa longipes, Garnot, Voy. Coq. i. p. 594, pi. xix. fig. 1 (1826). 
Myiothera novce-zealandim , Less. Man. d’Orn. i. p. 248 (1828). 
Miro longipes. Less. Tr. d’Orn. p. 389 (1831). 
Petroica australis, Gray, Voy. Ereb. and Terror, p. 7 (1844). 
Myioscopus longipes, Reich. Syst. Av. Taf. lxvii. (1850). 
Petroica longipes, Gray, Ibis, 1862, p. 223. 
Miro longipes, Buller, Birds of New Zealand, 1st ed. p. 119 (1873). 
Native names. 
Pitoitoi, Toutou, Toutouwai, and Totoara. 
$ saturate cinercus, scapis plumarum albidis : macula frontali alba : tectricibus alarum dorso concoloribus : 
remigibus brunneis, extus cinereo lavatis : cauda nigricante : facie laterali cinerea, albido magis distincte 
striolata : abdomine medio albicaute : corporis lateribus cinereis : subcaudalibus albidis : cruribus cinereis 
albido terminatis : subalaribus pallide cinereis : primariis intus ad basin albidis : rostro nigricanti-brunneo, 
mandibula brunnescentiore : pedibus pallide brunneis ; iride nigra. 
^ pallidior : remigibus brunnescentibus : facie laterali cinerascente, albo striolata : pectore superiore pallide 
cinerascente, plumis medialiter albido striatis : abdomine albido. 
Adult male. Head, neck, and all the upper surface dark slaty grey, plumbeous beneath; the shafts of the 
feathers greyish white, forming rather conspicuous lines on the crown and nape ; a frontal spot at the base 
of the upper mandible pure white ; rictal bristles black ; throat, fore neck, and sides of the body paler slaty 
grey ; the lower part of the breast, the middle of the abdomen, the vent, and the under tail-coverts white, 
blending on the edges with the darker plumage of the surrounding parts ; wing-feathers dull smoky brown, 
with lighter shafts ; lining of wings and a broad oblique bar on the under surface of all the quills except 
the first three primaries pure white; tail-feathers dull smoky brown, the shafts light brown on their upper 
and white on their under aspect. Irides black ; bill blackish brown ; tarsi and toes pale yellowish brown ; soles 
dull yellow. Total length 6 inches ; extent of wings 9'25 ; wing, from flexure, 35 ; tail 265 ; bill, along the 
ridge - G, along the edge of lower mandible '8 ; tarsus 1'35 ; middle toe and claw '95 ; hind toe and claw - 8. 
Female. Slightly smaller than the male and with duller plumage ; the upper parts tinged with smoky brown ; 
the throat, fore neck, and sides of the body lighter, the centre of each feather inclining to greyish white. 
Young. The young of both sexes resemble the female in the comparative brownness of the plumage of the upper 
parts ; the rictal membrane is largely developed and of a rich orange-colour. 
Obs. In this and the other closely allied species the feathers of the body have loose or disunited filamentous 
barbs, and are very soft in texture, especially on the upper parts. 
Note. I entirely agree with Dr. Finsch that this form should be separated from Petroeca (erroneously called 
Petroica ) ; but I am unable to follow him in adopting the genus Myioscopus of Reichenbach, the name o 
P 
