Forbes. — Additions to Extinct N.Z. Birds. 185 



Aet. VIII. — Preliminary Notice of Additions to the Extinct 

 Avifauna of Neio Zealand. (Abstract.)''' 



By H. O. Forbes. 



Communicated by J. T. Meeson, B.A. 



[Bead before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbtmj, 1st October, 1891.] 



In the majority of the larger deposits of moa-bones discovered 

 in both Islands the remains of numerous smaller birds have 

 also been obtained. With a few exceptions these had been 

 laid aside to wait identification and description at some future 

 time. The chief reason for this neglect was doubtless the 

 keener interest aroused in the scientific world in the moa, and 

 the expectancy and the hopes, so often realised, of the ex- 

 plorers being able to add to the list of these giant struthioids 

 which every new cave or swamp for many years raised; a 

 second and very valid reason being the almost total lack in 

 most of the museums of the colony of the necessary skeletons 

 of recent birds of every family with which to compare these 

 unknown subfossil remains. This latter drawback still exists 

 to a great extent, and till a more complete series has by degrees 

 accumulated many of the bones so discovered must remain 

 unidentified. The acquisition of birds and the preparation of 

 their skeletons for the purposes of this paper have been in 

 progress for upwards of two years, and by their means and 

 along with the avian osteological collection accumulated by 

 him during his lengthened travels the author is able to present 

 to the Institute to-night the first instalment of his identifica- 

 tions. The material on which the author bases this paper 

 was collected from the Glenmark Swamp by Sir Julius von 

 Haast ; from the Hamilton Swamp by the Otago Museum Com- 

 mittee ; from the Earnscleugh Cave by his late friend the Hon. 

 Captain Fraser, by D. Thompson, and Captain Hutton ; from 

 the Moa-bone Point Cave, Sumner, by his predecessor ; from 

 the Arkle Creek deposit by himself ; from the Te Ante Swamp 

 by Mr. A. Hamilton ; from Monck's Cave, Sumner, and_ from 

 the Enfield Swamp, Gamaru, under the author's supervision ; 

 from Shag Valley, and in the notorious Rauparaha's Pa kitchen- 

 middens, by Mr. A. Hamilton. For the generous use of this 

 material the author offers his warmest thanks to the Hawke's 

 Bay Philosophical Institute, to Professor Parker, F.R.S., Otago 

 Museum, and especially to Mr. A. Hamilton, by whose inde- 



* This paper is published in abstract, as it has been found impossible 

 to prepare all the necessary drawings for its proper illustration in time 

 for the present volume. 



