1 1 8 Zoological Society, 



25, 1834. It stated that the writer had, in consequence of the ap- 

 plication made to him, set on foot inquiries respecting that interesting 

 Bird of New Zealand, the Apteryx Australis, Shaw ; and that he 

 had succeeded in obtaining a skin of it, (destitute, however, of the 

 legs,) which he had forwarded to the Society. The specimen was 

 exhibited. 



The skin presented by Mr. MacLeay to the Society was obtained 

 by him from the Rev. W. Yate, who writes to him as follows, dated 

 Waimate, March 10, 1834: "About six weeks ago I had one of 

 these birds in my possession, the second I have seen in the Land. 

 I kept it nearly a fortnight, and in my absence it died. One of my 

 boys took off the skin ; the legs rotted off. I have very great plea- 

 sure in sending you the skin as it is. Should I ever meet with an- 

 other, I will do all I can to preserve it for you. Its food is long 

 earth-worms. It strikes with its bill on the ground, and seems to 

 know by the sound where its prey lies. It then thrusts its bill into 

 the ground, draws up the worm, and swallows it whole and alive. 

 They kick very hard, and their legs are remarkably strong for the 

 size of the bird. They are very rare in New Zealand, but are found 

 in the greatest numbers at Hiku Rangi, the mountain which you 

 mention." 



Mr. MacLeay adds, that he has applied to other friends on the 

 subject, and that, should he succeed in procuring further information, 

 he will communicate it to the Society. 



He concludes by expressing his intention of forwarding to the 

 Society the white-fleshed Pigeon of the Colony, which, he conceives, 

 would be a great acquisition in England : it is certainly, he says, far 

 superior to Partridge. 



Colonel Sykes* in illustration of the extended geographical distri- 

 bution of some species of Birds, called the attention of the Meeting 

 to a collection of Bird-skins, formed at the Cape of Good Hope by 

 Captain Spiller, R.A., and presented by that gentleman to the So- 

 ciety. The principal object had in view was the demonstration of 

 the identity of many species of Birds existing in Southern Africa, 

 with those which Colonel Sykes had himself obtained in Dukhun. 

 By the juxtaposition of the Cape Birds, and of those killed by him- 

 self in India, he showed that the following species exist equally in 

 both those countries : several of them are also common to Europe. 



Falco Tinnunculus, Linn. — South Africa, India, and Europe. 



Milvus Govinda, Sykes. — South Africa and India. 



Strix Javanica, Horsf. — Strix flammed, Linn. ? Universal ? 



Alcedo rudis, Linn.— South Africa and India. 



Oriolus melanocephalus, Linn. — South Africa and India. 



Coracias Indica, Linn. — South Africa and India. 



Upupa minor, Shaw. — South Africa and India. 



Cinnyris Mahrattensis, Cuv. — South Africa and India. 



Ardea Caboga, Penn. — South Africa, India, and Europe. 



Nycticorax Europceus, Steph. — South Africa, India, and Europe. 



Limosa Glottoides. — South Africa and India. 



