332 Letters, Announcements, ^c. 



Sir, — In treating of the genus Hieracidea in my ' Birds of 

 New Zealand/ I ventured (at page 4) to assert my belief that 

 " there are in reality two distinct species closely resembling each 

 other in plumage, in both the young and adult states, but differ- 

 ing appreciably in size." 



My friend Dr. Otto Finsch, of Bremen, has arrived, however, 

 at a different conclusion, and has noticed the subject in a paper 

 on New-Zealand Birds which he has communicated to the 

 'Journal fiir Ornithologie ' (March 1872, pp. 87,88). The 

 following is a translation of the passage in question : — 



" The following descriptive account is based on a fine series 

 of five specimens, which represent not only both sexes, but the 

 most divergent shades of coloration. I have before me two 

 male birds from Banks's Peninsula, and one male from the west 

 coast of the South Island, all three sent to me by Dr. Haast, 

 and a pair (male and female) received from Captain Hutton, as 

 North-Island specimens. The careful comparison of these ex- 

 amples leaves not the smallest doubt as to the identity of the 

 species. After Dr. Buller, as already stated (/. c), had given 

 proof that the plumage described by Mr. Gould as characteristic 

 of F. hrunnea, was only the immature dress — a fact established 

 by taking the young birds from the nest*, — Gurney advocated 

 ('Ibis,' 1870, p. 535) the recognition of two species, distin- 

 guishing the larger as F. novce-zealandice, and the smaller as F. 

 brunnea. The measurements adduced by him are valueless in 

 decidina; such a question, inasmuch as the determination of the 

 sexes of his specimens is somewhat incomplete or doubtful. It 

 may therefore be inferred, without much hesitation, that the 

 large specimens which Gurney refers to F. novcB-zealandm are 

 invariably females. Dr. Haast (in litt.) is likewise in favour of 

 two species, the Quail-hawk {F.brunnea v. /?roa;), according to his 

 view, being distinguishable from the other by its greater size as 

 well as its different mode of life and the peculiarities of its 

 nesting-habits. But the specimen sent in by him under the 

 latter denomination is, on the contrary, remarkable for its small 

 size. Captain Hutton, in his recent Catalogue, allows but one 

 species, remarking, ' very variable in size ; but a large male can 

 * Trans. N. Z. Instit. 1868, vol. i. p. 106. 



