^ p o s s ib le for me to do more th an notice tlie genus cur-
sordy. Dr. Buller, in his “ Birds of New Zealand,” admits
th ree species, viz.,—1, 0. australis-, 2, 0. earli-, aud 3 0
J u s c v s ; b u t more recently Captain H u tto n has w ritten a
VtkVQT on Ocydromus and admits six species, as follows:—
1, a troglodytes {Gm)-, 2, 0. hectori, H iitt; 3, 0. australis,
S p a rrm ; 4, 0 f u s ^ , D u B u s ; 5, 0. finscU, H iitt.; 6, 0.
earh, fo a y . Of all these he gives characters.
D r Fmsch in his la te essay (J! / 0. 1874, ». 197)
admits th e six species, which he discusses in his own
masterly m an ne r.hut he refers th e bird figured by D r BuBer
a s 0. earh to th e tru e 0. australis (S p a rn n ): he gives
synonymy o f each. ^ o
“ Distinguished from th e two former by its smaller size,
th e rust-red tin t of its plumage, th e gi'ey colour of th e
th ro at and lower p a rt of th e breast (espeeiaUy in th e male
bird), tlie more strongly marked pectoral band, and iu the
primary feathers of th e wing tapering towards th e point
Win«. Tail. CuWn. “ t i l 'T a r s . ,
"Male 6'5 4 4 1 7 “■ e f 2-0 I d
Female.. 6 7 4 4 1-8 -68 2 d 2 d
_ “ The middle tail-feathers are generally barred, h u t this
IS very variable. Except by th e size, this species is not
always easy to recognise from 0. troglodytes, and it is possible
th a t It may prove to be a varie ty of it.” (Hutton,
56. OCYBROzMUS TROGLODYTES.
Ocydromus troglodytes (Om) ; m t to n , Tr. N. Z. Im t v
p . 1 1 0 ; Fimeh, J. / . 0. 18Y4, p . 19V.
Ocydromus australis, Bnlla-, B. N . Zm l. p. 170 ui 19 i 1
, “ The distmguishing marks o( th is species are its larue
size, th e general olivaceous t in t of its plumage, th e middle
tail-feathers having generally a black streak down th e shaft
th e p o to t ’’™ “’’ '
w i* T,u,. 3 " ' t™ .
“Male . .. 7-8 4-8 2'0 “ S * ' 2-6 '2 4
Female.. 6'7 4 4 1-7 -7 2-1 9.1 a ”
(Hutton, l . c ) < - r - 1 0
Dr. Finsch unites with 0. australis Dr. BuUer’s figure of
0. mriz. 1 have compared tho type of th e la tte r species
w ith Spai-man s figure, and it does not agree a t all, whereas
i t IS like th e bird figured by Dr. Buller, b u t has n o t such a
d istin c t breast-hand as is represented liy him.
5 9 . O c y d r om u s EzYr l i.
Ocydromus earli, G a y ; Hutton, Tr. N . Z In s t v «
1 1 1 ; Finsch, J. f . 0. 1874, p . 199. ’
As before mentioned, Dr. Biiller’s identification of this
species has been doubted hy Dr. Finsch, b u t I m u st wait
for a larger series before being able to settle th is question
5 7 . O c y d r o m u s h e c t o r i.
Ocydromus hectori, Hutton, Tr. N. Z. Inst. v.. p . 1 1 0 ;
Finsch. J. f . 0. 1874, p. 198. ^
“ I n size and sty le of colouring th is bird resembles 0
troglodytes, h u t its biU is more robust, its general h u e is
Isabella brown, or fawn-coloured ; th e primary feathers of
th e wing are rounded a t th e tip, and th e brown bauds on
th e webs are very narrow, sometimes becoming obsolete,
l i ie ta il IS coloured as in 0. troglodytes.
w™. T.a c , „ „ . x .„ . , “ S r -
••• 2-3 -93 2-3 ^2^
This species is described from a single specimen only
and more m u st be obtained before we can feel sure whether
It should ^ a n d ^ a separate species, or only as a sub-
species of 0. troglodytes. This specimen was obtained by
Mr.^ Morton, n ea r th e Te Auau Lake, in Otago.” (Hutton,
Dr. Finsch (l. c), who has examined th e ty p e specimen
believes this to be a well-marked species.
60. O c y d r om u s f u s c u s .
Ocydromus fuscus, D u B u s ; Buller, B. N. Zeal p 174-
F ^ c h , J. / 0. 1874, p . 199; Hutton, Tr. N. Z. In it., v.,
C a p t ^ H u tto n says:— “ This species appeai-s to be
confined to th e south-east of Otago, on th e western side of
th e Alps. I t IS a well characterized bird and there is no
doubt connected w ith its specific identification a t present.
58. O c y d r o m u s a u s t r a l is .
Pla te 14.
O c y d r e m u 3 a n s t r a l i s ( f |«
J. f . a 1 8 7 2 ,^ .1 7 8 , et 1314, p . 193-, Hutton, T r .N .Z In s t
V., p . 1 1 1 .
61. O cYDROzMUS f in s c h i .
Ocydi-omus finschi, Hutton, Tr. N . Z. Inst, v , » 111 •
Finsch, J. f .O . 1874, p . 199. ’
‘‘Throat, abdomen, and thighs dark brownish-grey;
feathers of th e re st of th e body brownish-black, with spots
ot yeHowish leiTugmous on th e outer margins of each web
Under tail-coverts, and feathers of th e flanks banded with
yeUomsh ferruginous. Prima ry feathers of th e wing
acutely pointed, brownish-black, Imnded on each web with
dull ierruginous; secondaries with yellow ferruginous spots
on th e margins of each web. Middle tail-feathers brownish-
biack, th e outer ones with spots of yellow ferruginous on
th e margins of th e web. BRl dark brown, getting reddish
towards th e base of tlie lower mandible. Legs browuish-
“Male . .. 7 7
Female.. 6'35
(Hutton, I. c)
Height oi
bill
atbase.
Middle toi
without
2-35 Ü25
■64 2-1 2 '0 ”
Dr. Finsch has examined th e type of th is bird, b u t
considers th a t a larger series will require to be examined,
before it can he admitted as -----
6 2 . R a l l u s p h il i p p e n s i s .
Rallus assimilis, G a y , anted, p . 14.
Rallus pectoralis, Less. ; Finsch, J. f . 0. 1872, p . 181, et
1874, p. 200.
Rallus “ allu;
philippensis, Z .; Buller, B. N. Z. p. 176, pl.
f 1-
in_ th e British Museum, and no others are y et known to
science. Liko many New Zealand forms, i t is th e gigantic
representative of a well-known genus of Swamp Hens, and
th e intere st attaching to th is bird has been recently enhanced
by th e discovery th a t th e W h ite Swamp Hen of
Norfolk Islan d has been found to be a tru e Noiomis, thus
increasing th e range of th is nearly, if not quite, extinct
genus. {Of. Felz, Ibis, 1874, p. 4 4 ; Salvin, I. e., p. 296,
p l. 10.)
I believe Dr. Buller to be quite rig h t in assigning the
name philippensis to th is wide-spread species. (Of. also
Walden, Tr. Z. S. viii., p. 95).
Family, C h a r a d r i id æ .
6 8 . C h a r a d r iu s f u l v u s .
C a b a l u s d ie f f e n b a c h i i .
Pla te 15.
Ocydromus dieffenbachii. G a y , anted, p . 14, pl. 15.
Rallus dieffenbachii (G ay)-, Finsch, J. f . 0. 1872 p
182, et 1874. p. 2 0 0 ; Buller, B. K Zeal. p . 179, p l. 20, f . 2.
Rallus modestus,5ii«07i. H is, 1872, p. 247: Finsch, J. f.
0. 1874, p. 200.
Cabalus modestus, Hutton, Tr. N. Z. Inst, v., p . 108.
I n his latest article on th e “ Birds of New Zealand ” Dr.
Finsch believes in Rallus modestus of H u tto n being a distin
c t species from R. dieffenbachii. I examined th e ty p e of
Capt. H u tto n ’s species and thoroughly believe it to be the
p u n g of th e la tte r Rail. Perhaps Capt. H u tto n is right
in referring this Rail to a genus or sub-genus intermediate
between Rallus and Ocydromus, and I have therefore for
th e present adopted his genus Cabalus.
Charadrius virginianus, G a y , anted, p . 11.
Charadrius fulvus, Gm.; Finsch, J. f . 0. 1872, p. 168, et
1874, p . 193 ; Buller, I. c., p . 212.
Only found in New Zealand as a straggler and always
in winter plumage.
C h a r a d r iu s o b s c u r u s .
Pla te 9.
Charadrius obscurus, Gm.-, G a y , anted, p. 1 1 ; Finsch
J . f . 0. 1872,^3, 168. et 1314,p . 1 9 3 ; Buller, I. c.,p. 208.
70. C h a r a d r iu s b ic in c t u s .
Hiaticula bicincta, {J. & S ) ; G-ay, anted, p. 12.
Charadrius bicinctus, Finsch, J. f . 0. 1872, ». 169, et
1314, p . 193 ; Buller, I. c.,p. 210.
7 1 . T h in o r n is n o v æ z e a l a n d iæ .
64. O r t y g o m e t r a a f f in is . P la te s 11,11.*
T h i n o r n i s n
65. O r t y g o m e t r a t a b u e n s is .
Thinornis novæ zealandiæ, {Gm.) ; Gray, anted p 12 •
Finsch, J . f . 0. 1872, p . 169, et 1874, p. 194; Buller, I. c., p
213 ,^7 .2 3 . ’ - i '
n,.k„ z. X I. • /z-v N zv . , This Plover is ra re in collections. Dr. Buller after
/ / o ^ i s v l » i f S ' ■ 9 o i 7 1 ;
1R9 «7 91 / ?■ Sooil reason, to be the young of T. novæ zealandiæ.
-, p u zii, J. zi. recently it has been found on the Chatham Islands.
66. P o r p h y r io m e l a n o n o t u s .
Porphyrio melanonotus, Temm. ; G a y , anted p 14 ■
Finsch, J. f . 0. 1872, p . 183, et 1874. p . 201 ; Buller, B
N . Z. p . 185.
72.
N o t o r n is m a n t e l l i .
Notornis mantelli, Owen; Finsch, J . f O . 1872 p 184 et
1874, p . 201; Buller, B. N. Z. p. 189, p l. 22.
This species is represented by th e two typical examples
A n a r h y n c h u s f r o n t a l is .
Anarhynchus frontalis, Q & G.\ G a y , anted p 1 2 -
Finsch, J. f . 0. 1872, p . 169, et 1874, p . 1 9 4 ; Buller, I. c ’,
p. 216. ’
A capital illustration of this “ Wry-billed Plover ” is
given hy Mr. Ha rting (Ihis, 1869, j?/. viii.)
73. S t r e p s il a s in t e r p r e s .
Strepsilas interpres, ( i . ) ; Finsch, J . f . 0. 1870, p. 349,
7 Y
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