602 Proceedings. 



habit. In conclusion, he would say that he, for one, would be very sorrj- 

 to see the sparrow exterminated ; but he was convinced some systematic 

 steps would have to be taken to restrict the increase. The sparrow was 

 like alcoholic liquor, good in moderation, but decidedly harmful in ex- 

 cess. 



4. Sir "Walter Buller exhibited a huge kiwi from Stewart 

 Island, which he referred to A'pteryx maxima of M. Jules Yer- 

 reaux (Bonap. : Compt. Eend. Acad. Sc, xliii., p. 841). Two 

 of the largest specimens of Aptenjx australis (male and female) 

 were on the table for comparison ; and he pointed out that 

 this new bird had a bill fully an inch and a half longer, with 

 proportionately robust feet ; and that the claws, instead of 

 being long and sharp-pointed, as in Apteryx australis, were 

 short, broad, and blunt at the tip. He also pointed out other 

 distinguishing peculiarities in the plumage. Eeferring to the 

 history of this species, he said that the well-known French 

 naturalist named had, as far back as 1856, distinguished it 

 from the others on what appeared at the time to be very in- 

 sufficient data ; and a year or two later the Government of 

 New Zealand published in the Gazette a report by Drs. 

 Sclater and Hochstetter " On our Present Knowledge of the 

 Species oi Ajyteryx," in which special attention was called to 

 Jules Verreaux's new form, and the colonists invited to look 

 for it. When, in 1871, Professor Hutton published liis " Cata- 

 logue of New Zealand Birds," he referred the large grey 

 kiwi of the South Island {Apteryx haasti) io Apteryx maxima ; 

 ])ut Sir Walter Buller himself, in his first edition of " The 

 Birds of New Zealand," dissented from this view, expressing 

 himself as follows : " The evidence, as far as it goes, would 

 seem to indicate the existence of a much larger species of kiwi 

 than any of the foregoing — in fact, a bird equalling in size a 

 full-growm turkey. For this reason I have considered it safer 

 to retain Apteryx haasti as a recognized species, and to leave 

 the further elucidation of the question to the zeal and enter- 

 prise of future explorers in the land of the Apteryx." Seven- 

 teen years had elapsed since this was written, and at length 

 the veritable Apteryx viaxima had turned up in Stewart Island, 

 the specimen now^ before the meeting being undoubtedly the 

 only example known in any public or private collection. 

 Sir Walter Buller then proceeded to give an interesting ac- 

 count of the geographical distribution of the various species of 

 Apteryx, and the circumstances of their development. Apteryx 

 Imlleri is confined to the North Island, Apteryx australis to 

 the South Island, and Apteryx viaxima to Stewart Island ; 

 whilst Apteryx oiceni, inhabiting the colder regions of the 

 South, has also been found on the snow-line to the north of 

 Cook Strait. All these species have doubtless sprung from a 

 common parent, and the insular separation has existed for a 

 sufficiently long period of time to admit of the development of 



