nidos_ in arboribus slrnit, ova veperimus in nidis
A p rili; mense M a i ' ' =.........
Ju n io e t Octobri ac
Aprili ;Maio pullos circ ite r 4 vel 5 ; ova quoque
• ’ Novembri e t viridi cmrulescentia, magn
itu d in e circ ite r ovorum analinorum : nidi e virgultis e t
ramulis arborum.” Forster.
Th e E x p e d itio n ’s specimens were, shot a t the Bay of
Islands.
G r a c a l u s c h a l c o n o t u s .
P la te 21.*
Carbo auritus, Less. Tr. d ’ Orn. p. 665 ?
Shining greenish blue ; h ead shining green ; up p er part
o f the b ack and wings bronzy green, with th e edges o f the
feathers o f the former shining green, and those o f the wing-
coverts dark green ; bre ast aud ben e ath the b ody shining
green ; quills a u d tail black, the base o f the shafts o f the
la tte r white ; h ead crested with a few linear feathers b e tween
th e eyes ; eyelids blue, lower m argins deep blue and
brilliant ; feet white.
Length, 2 feet 4 inche s; bill from gape, 3 inches 6 lines;
wings, H u in c h e s ; tarsi, 2 inches.
Mr. P . E a r l obtained his specimen a t Otago, South
I s la n d ; where it was called Mapua.
G r a c a l u s p d n c t a t u s .
Pelecanus puncta tus, Forst. Desc. A n im . p. 104. Icon
ined. 103.
Spotted Shag, L a th . Sgn. vi. 602.
P elec anus p uncta tus, S parrm. Mus. Carls, i . 10.
P elec anus nævius, Gmel. Sgst. N a t. i. 575.
To p o f head an d the th ro at sooty black ; back o f neck,
lower p a r t o f back green ; a streak extending from over
the eye along th e sides o f neck to the breast, white ; the
u p p e r p a rt o f back and wings brownish cinereous, most of
the feathers with a spot o f black a t th e tip o f each ; tail
and thighs black, the la tte r ornamented with a few white
lanceolate plumes ; bre ast and abdomen leaden grey ; the
head an d neck crested.
Length, 30 inches ; bill from gape, 24 inches ; wings, 10
in ch e s; tarsi, 1 inch 11 lines.
“ H a b ita t in insula austra li Novæ Zeelandiæ, in Æ stu a rio
Reginæ Charlottæ, u rinatur, erectus sta t in rupibus
mari impendentibus, neque unquam quod sciam arbores
fréquentât.” Forster.
“ Common in Cook’s Strait. They are social birds, and
b u ild tbeir nests, many together, on high trees overliangin
g the nvers aud coasts. They lay two white, as large as
h en, eggs, and ieed especially upon the eels and smaller
fishes o f the rivers.” Dieffenbach.
F o rster gave, with the figure o f this bird, the name of
P a-d u— ^ ------
G r a c a l u s c a r b o id e s .
Phalacrocorax carboides, Gould, Desc. o f New Sp. o f
Austr. B ird s , p . 7. Proc. Z. S . 1837, 156.
To p o fh e a d , neck, uropygium, ta il and beneath the b o dy
shining greenish black ; b ack and wings bronzy brown
margined with shining greenish black ; cheeks, throat and
a large spot on the sides, w h ite ; h ead and neck ornamented
with small lanceolate while feathers.
Length, 8 feet 5 inche s; bill from gape, 4 inches 2 lines;
wings, 1 foot 2 | inches ; tarsi, 2 \ inches.
G ra c a l u s m e l a n o l e u c u s .
Phalac rocorax melanoleucus, Vieill. N . Diet, d' Hist.
N a t. viii. 88. Gould, B . o f Austr.
Pelecanus diraidiatus, Cuv.
Phalac rocorax flavirhynchus, Goidd, Proc. Z. S. 1837
157.
Top o f head, back of neck, upper p a rt o f back, b en d of
wings and tail, shining black ; wings (except some o f the
coverts) and lower p a rt of back deep grey, margined with
pure black, the other p arts entirely white.
Length, 1 foot 10 in c h e s; bill from gape, 2 inches 2
lines ; wings, inches ; tarsi, 1 inch 7 lines.
Th e specimen which was obtained by th e Expedition,
differs from th e Australian specimens by th e white spot of
the wing-coverts.
G r a c a l u s b r e v ir o s t r i s .
Phalacrocorax brevirostris, Gould, Desc. N . Sp. o f Aust.
B ird s, p. 8. Proc. Z. S. 1837, p . 26,
Shining black, slightly tinged with green ; wings and
scapulars greyish black, margined with pure black ; quills
brownish black, with pale t ip s ; ta il black, a line from the
nostrils extending over each eye, cheeks, th ro at and fore
p a rt o f neck, white.
Length, 2 fe e t; b ill from gape, in c h e s ; wings, 94
inches ; tarsi, 1 inch 4 lines.
Two specimens contained in the Museum collection,
were obtained by the E x p ed itio n whilst in the Bay of
Islands.
A P P E N D I X .
By R. BOWDLER SHARPE, F.L.S., F.Z.S,, & c ,, o f t h e Z o o l o g ic a l D e p a r t m e n t , B r it i s h M u s e u m .
The preceding portion of the “ Zoology ” of th e Voyage of th e “ Erebus and Terror ” was written many years ago by
my lamented predecessor Mr. George Robert Gray, with whom th e Ornithology of New Zealand seem.s always to
have been a favourite study. The foregoing catalogue of New Zealand birds was for many years th e standard work
of reference, aud iu 1862 th e same author applied himself anew to the subject and produced a revised list of th e birds
of New Zealand, containing many additions and improvements. With the notable exception of Dr. Otto F in sd i, no
European zoologist has written much on th e Avifauna of th e Antipodes since th a t date, for th e colony has produced
a set of working naturalists inferior to tlieir European bre thren in no degi’ee, aud to this day tlie “ Trausaction.s’’
of th e New Zealand In s titu te beat full tokens of the energy which is being shewn in th e elucidation of tlie
economy of th e fast-expiring featliered inhabitants of th a t d ista n t region. Dr. Biiller has particularly distiiigiiisiied
himself as a critical ornithologist, and, being a native of th e colony, he has brought to his aid a vast amount of practical
experience of th e habits of the birds he describes, while his gi-eat work on th e Ornithology of New Zealand will always
remain a monument of his industry and perseverance. Besides th e above-mentioned n aturalist, tliere are Dr.
Hector, Dr. Haast, Captain H u tto n and î l r . Potts, all of whom have contributed greatly to th e advance of ornithological
science in New Zealand,— the last-named writer being particularly distinguished for his excellent field
observations. In Europe Dr. Fin.sch has from time to time published valuable articles on Ne-w Zealand birds,
aud has by his “ Revision der "^fogel Neuseelands” aud other papers iu th e “ Jo u rn a l für Ornitliologie” materially
contributed to th e satisfactoiy position in wliich we now find th e Ornithology of th a t country.
I n th e appendix with which I now supplement Mr. Gray’s previous labours I propose to give a complete list of
th e birds of New Zealand, as far as they are a t present determined, with a few critical notes on some of th e species, an d
secondly I shall have to add descriptions of some hitherto unpublished plates which were intended to have accom,
panied th e original issue of th e work.
I m u st acknowledge my indebtedness to Dr. Finsch’s paper “ Zusätze u nd Berichtigungen zu r Revision der
Vögel Neuseelands” {J. f . 0. 1874, p . 107) in compiling a list of the birds of th a t country as a t present known.
Order, ACCIPITRES.
Sub-order, F a l c o n k s .
1. H a r f a n o v æ z e a l a n d iæ .
Falco novæ zealandiæ, Gm., Gray, anieà,p. 1.
Hieracidca novæ zealandiæ, Finsch, J. f . 0. 1872, p . 87,
e t 1874, p. 175 ; Bullcr, B. N. Zeal. p. l ,p l . 1.
This species has been well described aud figured by Dr.
Buller (1. c.), who separates th e small form as Hieracidea
brunnea, and gives distinctive measurements of each.
I have, however, shewn in th e “ I b i s ” for 1873, p. 328,
th a t a gradual gradation iu th e size of wing can be
found, and a t present furthe r characters must be sought
for, before two species of Harpa can be distinguished.
When recently engaged in studying the “Birds of P re y ” I
was surprised to find tlia t the New Zealand Falcons are by
no means congeneric witli the Australian Hieracideoe,
these la tte r being short-toed Hawks, allied to th e Kestrels,
whereas the subject of the present notice is a long-toed
bird, a true Falcon, allied to th e Peregrines b u t y e t generically
distinct. Tho two Falcons m u st therefore be known
as H a ip a novæ zealandiæ (Gm.) and Harpa australis, if
th e la tte r should prove distinguishable, Mr. Gould’s name
of Falco bnmnea for the la tte r having been pre-occupied.
A t the same time th a t I cannot admit th e absolute distinctness
of Harpa novæ zealandiæ and H. australis, I am
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