140 Zoological Society : — 



Cyrtonops punctipennis. White. C. brunneo-cinnamomevsy 



pills brevibus erectis Jlavis tectus ; thorace punctata ; scutello 

 pilis adpressis tecto. Elytris obscure tricostatis profunde 

 punctatis, punctis longitudinaliter ordinatis. — Long. lin. 9-1 1 . 

 Hab. India. Coll. Brit. Mus. 



Of a rich cinnamon-brown, closely covered with short erect yellow- 

 ish hairs. Thorax irregularly punctured, the punctures running into 

 each other and sometimes leaving small smooth spaces. Scutellum 

 rounded at the end, covered with short hairs, which lie close to the 

 surface. Elytra with three rather indistinct longitudinal costse ; sur- 

 face, except at the tip, with many deep punctures, more or less regu- 

 larly arranged in lines ; between these are smaller punctures, from 

 which proceed the hairs. 



Extracts from a Letter by Mr. H. Churton, respect- 

 ing Collections in New Zealand. Communicated by 

 Mr. J. Stevens. 



Wanganui, July 24, 1851. 



You can form no idea of the great trouble and expense attending 

 a journey such as you recommend in search of the Notornis. In the 

 first place, the nature of the country is such, that it is almost im- 

 possible to penetrate in search of anything ; they can only be ob- 

 tained by the merest chance, or from the natives. In most of the 

 places where birds are to be obtained you cannot proceed without 

 cutting your way, and the fern and shrubs are so thick and high, 

 that if a bird rises close to you you cannot see it. This is the case 

 with the Pakeko. I have been frequently in places abounding with 

 them and not got a shot, though they were flying all about me ; the 

 Notornis being of similar habit will be equally difficult to obtain. 

 In the next place, I should have to charter a small vessel for two 

 months at least, to take tents, provisions, &c. for myself and men, to 

 be away from home for perhaps three months, and all for the very 

 slight chance of meeting with a very rare bird : perhaps ten years 

 ago, when I did not mind moving, I might have gone, but now I am 

 snug and comfortable here there is no chance of it ; so for me the 

 Notornis must remain. 



There are no positively authentic accounts of living Moas. I have 

 paid some attention to the subject, and have heard nothing yet that 

 can be relied on. I think it possible that one species (not the largest) 

 may yet be discovered in the Middle Island, but it will probably be 

 some time first, as even the discovery of that bird will hardly pay a 

 man for undergoing such fatigue and danger as would be necessary 

 if a person went in search for it. See Mr. Brunner's journal, who 

 was eighteen months exploring about 150 miles, and who, had it not 

 been for his native companions, must have been starved if he had 

 twenty lives. 



The Kakapo is now pretty well known ; it appears to be tolerably 

 abundant on the Middle Island, though probably quite or nearly ex- 

 tinct on this. I have seen several specimens, and the Acheron 

 steamer on her late expedition I believe obtained a great many, as 



