36 
Capt. F. W. Hutton on certain 
Heteralocha acutirostris. 
The tongue of this bird is not, according to my observations, 
“ bifurcate at the tip,” nor is it “furnished with minute barbs,” 
but is deeply fringed at the tip, and slightly so down each 
side for about a third of its length. 
Halcyon vagans. 
I have never known an instance of this bird catching fish ; 
like the rest of the genus it subsists entirely on insects and 
crustaceans. 
PrOSTHEMADERA NOViE-ZEALANDIiE. 
The bird described* and figured as young must surely be a 
variety. I have seen several young specimens, but none of 
them had a white crescent on the throat. 
Anthornis melanura. 
Dr. Buller is certainly in error in saying that this bird is 
dying out all over New Zealand; for it is one of the commonest 
of birds in the South Island, and can be seen in almost every 
garden. The district in which it is all but exterminated cor¬ 
responds far better with the district thickly inhabited by 
Maoris than with the district thickly inhabited by Mus decu- 
manus. I have never observed any bright-coloured feathers 
in its nest. 
Orthonyx albicilla. 
I quite agree with Mr. Potts that this bird is by no means 
the representative in the north island of O. ochrocephala. The 
structure of its feet shows that it is not an Orthonyx at all; 
and in its habits and song it is quite different from O. ochro¬ 
cephala. According to my observations it does not prefer 
low bush, nor does it climb the boles of trees, but is almost 
always seen hopping about in the very topmost boughs of 
tall trees. 
Dr. Buller is also mistaken in saying that it sings like the 
Canary. It is the Bobin (Miro longipes ) that sings like the 
Canary, while the song of the White-head (0. (?) albicilla) is 
much like that of the Yellow-hammer (Emberiza citrinella) } 
but without the last note. 
