94
Apteryx Owenii. Ap. corpus superius fusco et fulvo transversim radiatum; plumis singulis, ad basim argenteo-fuscis, in medio saturatius fuscis, deinde fasciâ setnilunari transversâ fulvá, cui maculu succedit informis nigra, ad apicem fulvis . Corpus inferius superiore pallidius, pluma enim quæque inferioris corporis tribus radiis fulvis, superioris tantum duobus ornatur; fulvus quoque color inferiore longius quam superiore corpore in apicibus plumarum extendit.
Face, head and neck dull yellowish brown; throat somewhat paler; all the upper surface transversely rayed with blackish brown and fulvous; each individual feather being silvery brown at the base, darker brown in the middle, then crossed by a lunate mark of fulvous, to which succeeds an irregular mark of black, and terminated with fulvous; under surface paler than the upper, caused by each feather being crossed by three rays of fulvous instead of two, and more largely tipped with that colour; the feathers of the thighs resemble those of the back; bill dull yellowish horn-colour; feet and claws fleshy-brown.
Total length, from the tip of the bill to the extremity of the body, 18 inches; bill, from the gape to the tip, 3⅝; bill, ⅞ broad at the gape; tarsi, 2¼; middle toe and nail, 2½.
Hab. New Zealand.
Remark.—In this species the wing is even more rudimentary than in the Apteryx Australis.
3. Drafts for a new arrangement of the Trochilidæ. By John Gould, Esq., F. R. S. (continued[1]), with the characters of two new genera and descriptions of three new species.
Metallura, gen. nov.
Char. gen. — ižos^ram rectum, sublongum. Pluma moUes sericeae.
Cauda subgrandis, rotundata. Gula et rectrices infrU tanquam
metallum expolitum luminosse. AlcB subgrandes. Tarsi nudi.
Pedes subgrandes. Digitus et unguis postici digitum et unguem
medios longitudine seąuantes vel superantes.
Gen. char. — Bill straight, moderately long ; plumage soft and silky ; tail rather large and rounded ; throat and under surface of the tail- feathers very luminous, likę shining metai ; wings moderately large and apparently adapted for an easy raode of flight ; tarsi bare ; feet rather large ; hind-toe and nail as long or longer than the middle toe and nail.
Females. — Much less brilliant than the malęs in every respect, and in most of the species wanting the luminous mark on the throat.
The species are —
Trochilus cupreocauda, Gould.
Trochilus teneocauda, Gould.
Trochilus Alardi, Bourc.
Trochilus smaragdinicollis, D'Orb.
Trochilus JVilliami, Bourc.
- ↑ See ante, pp. 7, 16, 30.
