'.]')><, From All Sources. 



Page 302, line 5, "vary" should read ore rer//. 

 Page 306, line 4, " country ". should rea:l C9»w/v. 

 Page 312, The opening of Mr. Raynor's article should 

 read: // was not. 



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From All Sources 



"THE BIJJDS ()]- ^V^\ ZEALAND." 



The Hon. Thomas Mackenzie, Hig-ji Commissioner for Xew 

 Zealand, lecturing before the United Empire Circle of the Lyceum 

 Club, London, on the Birds of IsTew Zealand, in describing- the 

 geological history of New Zealand, stated that the islands comprising 

 the Dominion were but the remnant of what was at one time a 

 gTeat continent. Evidence in supj^ort of that was for hcoming both 

 within and without New Zealand, and Professors Huxljy and Owen had 

 enlarged on that subject. 



In Xew Zealand, there was, he said, an entii-e absence of 

 mammals, but Lfe was represented by huge birds of the struthious 

 orders, ajid remains of many species of Dinornis had been found. 

 Profc'ssor Owen had from a fragment of femur bone reconstructed 

 the type of bird formerly in existence in the Dominion, and many 

 other remains had been found showing that these gigantic birds 

 had been 15 feet high. Living .specimens, represented by the 

 A.pieryx family, were still to be found in the oountiy. Discussion 

 had been carried on fiom time to time as to the period when these: 

 gigantic birds ceased to exist; but from Mr. Mackenzie's own in- 

 vestigations, when on exploring expeditions, and fiOm tlie legends 

 of the natives, it was evident that the Maori and the Moa had been 

 contemporaries. 



The lecturer described the Kiwi and its singular habits — how 

 the male bird performed the act of incubation. He dealt upon the 

 habits and customs of other wingless birds peculiar to New Zealand, 

 and described the Tui, the Huia, the Kea, the Notornis, Mantelli, &c. 



Eeferring to the question of the vanishing species, the High 

 Commissioner described what had been done by the New Zealand 

 Government towards their preservation. Sanctuaries had been set 

 aside on the mainland, and islands were also being used for that pur- 

 l)ose. He stated that legislation had been placed on the statute 

 book during a number of years. Speaking generally on the dis- 

 appearance of many species throughout the world, Mr. Mackenzie 

 said that future generations would regard in one respect the work 

 of the Twentieth Centun,^ with abhorrence, inasmiich as that century 

 witnessed the disappearance of many of the most bcau'iful creatures 

 with which the Almighty had adorned the earth. Destruction was 

 carried on wantonly and cruelly and almost exclusively for millinery 

 purposes. The Nineteenth Century had done much in the process 



