Harpa novae-zealandise (Gme/.). 459 



Zealand/ This bird, the sex of which was also determined by 

 Dr. V. Haast, is said to be much smaller than the male of 

 H. novce-zealandice ; but no measurements are given. 



The third individual is also a small female of H. australis, 

 mentioned by Dr. BuUer in the ' Transactions of the New- 

 Zealand Institute,' vii. p. 213. The sex of this bird was 

 ascertained by the late Mr. Fuller, at that time taxidermist 

 to the Canterbury Museum. It is much smaller than any 

 female in my table. 



Of these three instances, the second has been effectually 

 disposed of by Mr. Potts, who pointed out (Trans. N.Z, Inst. 

 vi. pp. 140, 141) that Dr. v. Haast was mistaken in supposing 

 that he got this bird on the nest and determined its sex, as 

 the bird in question was shot and skinned by Mr. Phillips, 

 who presented it to Dr. v. Haast, who guessed at its sex. The 

 two birds mentioned by Dr. v. Haast were not obtained on a 

 nest at all, but were shot at diflferent times by Mr. PhiUips 

 whilst attacking his poultry. 



With regard to the third specimen, some doubt is thrown on 

 the accuracy of the determination of the sex by the fact that 

 the sex of the specimens of Ocydromus australis, sent by the 

 Canterbury Museum to Dr. Finsch,the measurements of which 

 are given in the ' Journal fiir Ornithologie,^ 1870, p. 353, were 

 wrongly marked, the females being made out to be larger 

 than the males, the exact opposite being well known to be the 

 case. It must also be noticed that this supposed female in 

 the Canterbury Museum is of exactly the same dimensions as 

 several of the males in my table, and is less tlian the mea- 

 surements of the female of H. australis given by Dr. Buller. 

 With regard to the first case (the supposed male of H. 

 nova-zealandiai) , little can be said, except that its dimensions 

 agree closely with those of my specimen B, which is a female ; 

 and I think that this observation requires confirmation before 

 it can be accepted. 



It will be noticed in the table that the length of the tarsus 

 is nearly the same in the two sexes, but in both the females 

 the legs were much thicker and stronger than in the males ; 

 and, notwithstanding the disparaging remarks of Dr. Buller 



