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Society Cuckow, L a th . S yn . ii. 514.
Cuculus taitensis, S p a rrm. Mus. Carls, t. 32. Voy. de
la Coq. Zool. i. p . 623.
Cuculus taitius, Gmel. Syst. N a t. i. 412.
Bromi, transversely b an d e d aud longitudinally streaked
on the h ead and neck, with ru fo u s ; un d er surface white
with longitudinal streaks down the middle o f each feather
o f brownish b la c k ; wing-coverts brown, banded with ru fous
an d tip p ed with w h ite ; quills brown, banded with
m fo u s ; tail brown, numerously b anded with rufous and
tipped with white.
L en g th , 1 foot 44 inche s; bill from gape, 1 inch 10 lines;
wings, 7 |i n c h e s ; tarsi, 1 in ch 3 lines.
When young, th e feathers o f the back, quills and secondaries
are tipped with white, and the u nder surface is
tinged with mfous.
This b ird is the Kohepuroa or Koekoea o f tlie natives.
I t is migi-atory, says Dr. Dieffenbach, an d appears on the
coast in the month o f December. Forster h a s neither in h is
MSS. or drawings recorded it as a native of New Zealand.
From Mr. P . EaiTs note we le a ra th a t it comes from the
no rth to th e neighbourhood o f P o rt Nicholson in the month
of October, and re turns in April. T h ey are also found as
far soulh as Otago in th e South Island, but they are scarce
and very shy.
C h r y s o c o c c y x l u c id u s .
Cuculus nitens, Forst. Desc. A n im . p. 151. Icon, ined
57.
Shining Cuckow, L a th . S yn . ii. 528, pi. 23.
Cuculus lucidus, Gmel. Syst. N a t. i. 421, Temm. PI
Col. 1 0 2 ,/. 1.
Shining b ronzy g re e n ; forehead, cheeks and bene ath the
body white, transversely banded with shining b ronzy g re en ;
tail shining bronzy green, with some o f the lateral ‘feathers
spotted on th e sides an d tipped with white.
L ength, 7 in c h e s ; b ill from gape, 8 lin e s ; wings 4 j
inches ; tarsi, 9 lines.
“ H a b ita t ad iCstuarium Regin® Charlottae in sylvis (et
ad Caput Bon® Spei (?).” Forster.
T h is b ird is closely allied to the Australian species, b u t
appears larger in all its proportions ; th e transverse bands
o f the u n d e r surface are w id e r; the outer tail-feathers have
four large spots and one small spot a t the base ; while the
Australian species has five spots, which are all large, aud
equal in size : the feathers of the back are more o f a golden
green than in the Australian b i r d ; and other differences
are also distinguishable by comparison.
I t is the Poopoo arouro or Pipiwawai-ou o f th e natives.
Dr. Dieffenbach remarks, th a t like the former bird, it is
migratory, and appears near the coast in th e same month.
H e also observed th a t it lays its eggs in th e nests of smaller
birds, especially in th a t o f the F an-tailed Flycatcher {Rhip
id u r a Jlabellifera). I t arrives, says Mr. P . E a rl, a t Port
Nicholson, in the beginning o f October, returning north in
M a rc h : it possesses a very strong flight and is exceedingly
s h y ; its notes are like tbe sound o f Kui kui lioro. H e e x amined
th e stomach o f one, and found several caterpillars
Family, C o l d m b id æ .
Subfamily, Columbinæ.
C a r p o p h a g a n o v æ Z e a l a n d iæ .
Columba argetræa, Forst. Desc. Anim. p . 89. Icon, in ed.
137.
New Zealand Pigeon, L a th . Syn.
Columba novæ Zealandiæ, Gmel. S y st. N a t. i. 773.
Columba zealaudica. L a th . In d . Orn.
Columba leucogaster, Wagl.
To p o f the head, back and sides o f the neck, up p er p a rt
o f the back and wing-coverts, coppery purple ; head, fore
p a rt o f the neck, bre ast and outer portion o f the wings, secondaries
and lower p a rt o f the back, rich coppery green ;
abdomen and lower p art o f the breast pure white ; quills
bluish green, with lengthened spots of grey on the outer
webs near the base, the tips o f tlie inner ones black • tail
black, tinged with blue green, tipped with pale brown.
Length, 1 foot 74 inches; b ill from gape, 1 inch 3 lines •
wings, 104 inches ; tarsi, 14 inch. ’
“ H a b ita t in insula Australi Novæ Zealandiæ. Victitat
baccis Corianæ sai-mentosæ e t Coccolobæ australis.” —
Forster.
According to Forster’s drawings it is th e Hagarreroo
b u t h y other wnters it is said to be the Kuku or Kukupa
of the natives. ^
This fine b ird is closely allied to the Australian Carpoph
aga spadicea, b u t which differs by the wings and lower
parts of th e back being silvery grey, more or less tinged
with green. In the young birds the purplish ferruginous
is more or less wanting.
MM. Hombron e t Jacq u in o t have described a species
with the name of Columba spadicea leucophoea (Ann. des
Sci. Nat. 1841, 319), in th e following terms. “ Back and
wing-coverts undulated with rufous; head, occiput, cheeks
and back o f neck, grey, marked with p a le r; quills and tail
sooty grey, the latte r tipped with white; under p art o f the
th ro at and breast brownish grey, traversed with gi-ey more
or less pure ; belly and u nder tail-coverts white.” This
description most likely refers to the very young bird of
this species.
Latham has recorded two other species o f pigeons, as
found in New Zealand, namely, Columba cenea, var. 0. and
Columba brunnea ; it is extremely doubtful whether these
birds are inhabitants o f th a t p a rt of the world.
Among th e notes o f Mr. P . E a rl I find the following description
o f a species o f pigeon. “ He ad and neck white,
th e former crested ; scapulars very light brown ; the belly
an d breast white.” Several specimens o fth is were seen at
Tautuku, and n ea r the Molyneux River.
Family, T e t b a o n id æ .
Subfamily, Perdicinw.
CoTURNIX NOVÆ ZEALANDIÆ.
P la te 8.
Coturnix novæ Zealandiæ, Quoy et Gaim. Voy de I’Asirol.
Zool. i. 242. Ois. t. 2 4 , / 1, (femelle).
Male. U ppe r surface brownish ferruginous varied with
black, with a nan'ow white streak down th e shaft o f each
feather ; a line over each eye, cheeks and throat rufous ;
with two short lines on the cheeks and margin beneath,
black ; breast ferruginous white, ea ch feather with a broad
irregular band o f black, and tipped with white ; feathers
of the sides pale ferruginous marked with black, an d a
white streak down the shaft ; abdomen white, with black
marks.
Length, 8 4 in c h e s; bill from gape, 8 lin e s ; wings, 44
inches.
The female is similar to tho male, b u t wants the rufous
throat. I t is closely allied to the Co tu rn ix pectoralis of
Mr. Gould. MM. Quoy and Gaimard tell us th a t “ II h a bite
la baie Chouraki (rivière Tamise de Cook), à la Nouvelle
Zélande. Nous n ’ avons pas pu nous procurer un
seul mâle.” Mr. P ercy E a rl informs me, th a t this bird is
termed by the natives Koreke, and th at it is found, b u t not
in abundance, in the open fern lands on the South Island.
H e never saw one on th e North Island, although he does
n o t state positively that they do not ex is t there. T h e flesh
o f this quail is o f a delicate flavour. The egg is o f a yellowish
white, irregularly spotted with umber brown. Tliis
species was observed by Dr. Dieffenbach on the Northern
Island.
Family, S t r d t h io n id æ .
Subfamily, Apteryginæ.
A p t e r y x a u s t r a l is .
Apteryx australis, Sh aw , N a t. Misc. pi. 1057, 1058.
Gould’s B . o f Austr. p t. 11. pi.
Dromiceius novæ Zealandiæ, Less. Man. d Orn. it. 210.
Chesnut brown, mai-gined on the sides o f each feather
with blackish brown ; head, fore part o f neck and under
surface lighter, tinged with grey.
Length o f male, 2 feet 6 in ch e s; bill from gape, 64
inches ; tarsi 3 in ch e s.’
Lengih of female 2 feet; bill from gape, 54 in ch e s; tarsi
2 inches 8 lines.
This singular bird (which is the Kivi or Kiwikiwi of the
natives) is scattered over various p arts of Now Zealand, especially
those covered with extensive and dense beds of
ferns, which afford it a place o f concealment, when hunted
by the natives, who highly prize the feathers as an article
to decorate their persons. I t runs with swiftness, and
sometimes hides itse lf in holes of rocks or hollow trees. Its
food is supposed to consist o f snails, insects and worms,
which it mostly seeks for during th e n ig h t; the latter are
obtained by beating the earth with its foot, it seizes them
with its bill the instant they appeal- above the ground. The
nest is usually placed a t the base o f a hollow tree, or in
deep holes excavated in th e ground. I t is composed of
fern and grasses, b u t the number o f eggs is unknown.
Family, C h a r a d r id æ .
Subfamily, Charadrinoe.
C h a r a d r iu s v ib g in ia n u s .
Charadrius vivginianus, Pr. Bonap.
Charadrius mavmoratus, Wagl.
Charadrius xanthocheilus (Wagl.), Ja rd . Selby's III.
o fO r n .p l . 85.
Blackish brown, sp o tte d with yellowish white or deep
yellow ; feathers o f the head and nape margined with y e llow
; greater wing-coverts and quills blackish brown, the
former margined, and the basal p art of th e shafts o f the la tter,
w hite; under surface yellowish white, with the abdomen
varied with blackish brown b a n d s ; fore p a rt o f th e neck
and breast yellowish grey, with triangular spots and bands
o f pale blackish brown; under tail-coverts yellowish white,
tinged with yellow; tail blackish brown, spotted with y ellowish
white.
Length, 10 inches.
T h e native names o f th is bird are Tuturiwha ta , Takihi-
kaki or Tiituruata.
C h a r a d r iu s o b s c u r u s .
Pla te 9.
Charadrius glareola, Forst. Desc. Anim. p . 109. Icon,
ined. 122.
Dusky Plover, L a th . S yn. v. 211.
Charadrius obscurus, Gmel. Syst. N a t. i. 686.
Blackish brown, with the feathers margined with rufous
gi-ey, especially on th e nap e ; front, streak over each eye,
th ro at and abdomen rufous white ; breast and u pper pai-t of
abdomen rufous; under tail-coverts white, slightly tinged
with rufous; quills black, base o f the in n e r ones an d the
shafts o f the others w h ite ; tail blackish brown, with the
lateral feathers white.
Length, 10 inches; b ill from gape, 1 inch 5 lines; wings
64 inches ; tarsi, 1 inch, 8 lines.
“ H a b ita t ad littora glareosa insulæ australis Novæ Zeelandiæ.”
Forster.
T h e young b ird is of a lighter colour, especially on the
under surface, where it is white, slightly tinged with ru fous
; and the throat and sides of the bre ast spotted with
blackish brown.
This is called, according to the drawing o f Forster, Ha-
poho-era, by the natives of Dusky Bay.
These birds, says Mr. Percy E a rl, I never observed but
a t Waikonali, and then only during the month o f September.
They are usually six or eight together, but are very
shy, and are very fat a t th a t time, and o f exquisite flavour.
He further mai-ked, th at this species is the Moakura o f the
natives.
T h in o r n is .
B ill long, slender, scarcely swollen a t th e apex, which
is acute; th e nostrils lateral, basal, placed in a nasal groove
that extends for two-thirds o f tlie bill. Wings long, pointed,
and with the first and second quills nearly equal and
longest. Tail long and rounded. Tarsi as long as, or
shorter than, the middle toe, and strong. Toes long, strong,
united a t th e base and margined on the sides, the hind too
wanting.
These birds differ from H ia ticu la , iu the length and
slenderness of their bills, and in the strength and shortness
o f their tarsi, and also iu the strength of their toes.
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