Ornithological Letters from the Pacific. 391 



XXIX. — Ornitholoyical Letters from the Pacific. — IX.''^ 

 New Zealand. By O. Finscii, Ph.D., H.M.B.O.XJ., &c 



My ornithological friends may be aware that some years ago 

 I took considerable interest in the avifauna of New Zea- 

 land. They can imagine therefore how much pleased I felt 

 in having an opportunity not only of studying the rich 

 material in the various museums and collections of that 

 colony, but also of seeing a considerable number of species of 

 birds in their own homes, and tlius getting at least a glance 

 at the bird-life of New Zealand. I need not say that, besides 

 this, I was also fortunate in making the personal acquaintance 

 of all the leaders of science in the colony, with some of whom 

 (such as Von Haast, Hutton, Hector, Buller, and Potts) I 

 had been for some years in most friendly correspondence, and 

 from all of whom I received the most cordial welcome. I 

 shall not in this letter enter on the museums themselves, as 

 I intend to reserve all my numerous notes on that subject for 

 a special paper on the different museums of Australia and 

 New Zealand ; but I cannot forbear mentioning that I 

 was much astonished at what has been done in this respect in 

 a comparatively very short time. Above all Von Haast de- 

 serves the greatest credit, as being the actual organizer of 

 these scientific institutions, while his special creation, the 

 Christchurch Museum, talccs not only the first place in the 

 colony, but would rank among the better class Sf museums 

 in the Old World, and would even e^cel those of many of 

 our universities. 



I arrived in New Zealand on the 23rd of May, and left the 

 colony on the 12th of August. I stayed therefore only about 

 eleven weeks, which time, of course, 1 could not devote solely 

 to ornithology, as I had to look after and study many other 

 things. Besides, it was winter, and, although I found this 

 season exceedingly mild in comparison with ours, there was, 

 of course, no opportunity of observing birds in the breeding- 

 season. But I travelled a good deal about the country, making 

 several excursions, which led me to the glaciers at the foot 



* For No. VIII. see 'Ibis/ 1881, p. 532. 



