474 Transactions. — Geology 



Akt. XXXIX. — Note on Remains of some of the Extinct 

 Birds of New Zealand found near Nyapara. 



By A. Hamilton. 



[Read before the Otago Imtitute, 3rd Dtcernber, 1903.] 



A SHORT time ago Professor Benharu, the Curator of the 

 Otago University Museum, brought under my notice some 

 bird-bones which had been sent to him for identification by 

 the Eev. Jas. Standring, of Enfiel(i, a small settlement eight 

 miles mland from Oamaru. 



The bones were in a very good state of preservation, and 

 included bones of the Harpagornis, Cneviiornis, and several 

 other smaller birds. One small metatarsal was shown to 

 me as something strange, and at fir.st I thought the bone 

 was that of one of the hawks. Closer examination, how- 

 ever, enabled us to identify it as belonging to a bird closely 

 allied to Corviis corax. There was also a metacarpal of the 

 same bird. 



It then became highly probable that this must be the same 

 genus, at any rate, as Cornis moriorum, described, or, rather, 

 named, by Forbes from collections made in the Chatham 

 Island. On borrowing from Mr. Kinsey, in Christchurch, 

 who possesses a magnificent skeleton of this very rare bird, 

 a bone of the Gorviis morioruvi, the identification was 

 assured. 



It is a matter of extreme interest to find this bird in New 

 Zealand, and, as I have already found another of Mr. 

 Forbes's species, a Fulica, in the deposit of bird-bones at 

 Castle Eock, in Southland, '■■ it was of special interest to me. 



Professor Benham kintily arranged with Mr. Standring so 

 that we could visit the locality m which the bones were found, 

 but, unfortunately, he was prevented from going at the last 

 moment, so it fell to me to make an examination of the 

 locality, anci, if possible, to ascertain how the bones came into 

 the position in which they are found. 



Mr. Standring was kind enough to meet me at the Wind- 

 sor Station, and had arranged that we should be driven by 

 Mr. McCulloch, the owner of the property on which the bones 

 are found, lo the place, which is about two miles and a half 

 from the ternunus of ibo luu; at Ngapara, or about twenty 

 miles from Oamaru. 



The road passes up a valley cut through a succession of 

 sandy clays and gravels capped with a bed of hmestone. 



Mr. McCulloch 's house is situated in the midst of most 



• Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxv., p. 88. 



