102 
Young male. In the Auckland Museum there is a young male, in transitional plumage, which is very interesting, 
as showing that in the young state both sexes have the colours of the female. At the first moult the male 
bird puts on the adult livery, although the tints of the plumage are less bright than m the fully matured 
bird In the present example the plumage of the head, neck all round, and shoulders is changing from dull 
olive-brown to black, the new feathers being very conspicuous and predominating. The white tufts on the 
head have appeared, but have not attained their full development, being only about one third of the usual 
size • the canary-vellow band on the upper edge of the wings is well defined, but the pectoral zone is narrow 
and indistinct • on the breast the old plumage has almost entirely disappeared, being replaced by the black, 
but there arc enough remnants to show what it was originally ; the rest of the body-plumage the same as m 
ordinary examples^ being alike in both, sexes. 
Yount] female. The specimen in the Auckland Museum has no appearance of the white marks on the head; the 
spots covering the base of the secondaries are yellowish white or very pale fawn-colour, becoming pure white 
at the roots of the feathers ; the small feathers at the carpal flexure are pale yellow ; quills b lac vis i brown 
the primaries very narrowly, and the secondaries broadly, margined with pale olive; tail-leathers b aens 
brown margined on their outer webs with dull olive. 
Obs. In some examples 
clear orange-yellow, 
olive. 
of the male the colours are brighter, the pectoral zone being wider and deepening to a 
while the quills and larger wing-coverts have a narrow external margin o ye owis 
Remarks. This species is furnished with hair-like bristles at the angles of the mouth measuring half an inch in 
length. The tongue has a pencilled or brush-like termination ; the hind claw is almost twice the length o 
those of the fore toes, which are about equal, measuring '25 of an inch m their curvature; the * tai is o 
medium length and slightly cuneiform. The plumage, especially that of the female, is soft to the touch, 
and, in the adult, has a peculiar silky gloss. . , , , , 
This New-Zealand form approaches closely to a numerous group of Australian birds comprehended u 
the generic name of Ptilotis, among which it originally was placed. It has since, however, been recognize 
as the type of a distinct genus. 
In my former edition of this work I wrote thus “ This handsome species has only a limited range. 
It is comparatively common in the southern parts of the North Island, and may be met with as far 
north as the wooded ranges between Waikato Heads and Raglan, beyond which it is extremely rare. 
It is never found in the country north of Auckland, with the exception of one locality, the 
Barrier Islands, where Captain Hutton records it ‘ not uncommon ’ in December 1868. I have 
never heard of its occurrence anywhere in the South Island. It affects deep wooded gullies, and is 
seldom found on the summits of the ranges. In the dense timber covering old river-bottoms or low- 
iyiim flats it may be sought for; but it rarely frequents the light open bush or the outskirts of the 
forest It is, moreover, a very shy bird ; and being most active in all its movements, it is not easily 
shot Its food consists of insects, the honey of various bush -flowers, and the smaller kinds o ernes. 
It often frequents the topmost branches of the high timber, where it may be seen flitting about in 
search of insects. If disturbed by the report of a gun, it will fly off to a neighbounng tree wit a 
light and graceful movement of the wings; but when descending to a lower station, it adopts a 
different manner of flight, elevating the tail almost to a right angle with the body and scarcely 
moving the wings at all. The male bird erects the tail and spreads the ear-tufts when excited or 
alarmed' but the female habitually carries the tail perfectly erect and the wings drooping. lhe 
sexes vary so much in appearance that many of the natives regard them as distinct species, and call 
them by different names. The male bird utters at short intervals and with startling energy a 
melodious whistling call of three notes. At other times he produces a sharp clicking sound like the 
striking of two quartz stones together: the sound has a fanciful resemblance to the word ‘stitch, 
