136 Letters, Announcements, 6fc. 



small species of Bittern, only seven inches in height, and probably 

 the " Little Bittern " of Mr. Ellman (Zool. p. 7469), has been 

 discovered on the west coast of the South Island; the remarks 

 of Mr. Mackay (Ibis, 1867, pp. 144, 145) on Noto?'nis mantelli 

 are said to refer to Strigops habroptilus, though it must be men- 

 tioned here that that gentleman positively assured us he knew 

 both birds well ; a new species of Ocydromus from the south- 

 west coast of the South Island is described under the name of 

 0. nigricans ; the so-called Mimus carunculatus [cf. Ibis, 1867, 

 p. 132), subsequently called by Dr. Finsch (J. F. 0. 1867, pp. 

 342, 343) Anthuchatra bulleri, is said to be identical with A. 

 carunculata ; Creadion carunculatus and C. cinereus are stated to 

 be totally distinct ; and, finally, Spheniscus undinus has been 

 procured on the west coast of the province of Wellington. Ap- 

 pended to this paper is a careful translation of Dr. Finsch^s re- 

 view, which appeai-ed in the 'Journal fiir Ornithologie' for 1867 

 (pp. 305-347), and further on in the volume is a reprint of Mr. 

 Buller's original ' Essay.' Captain Hutton conti'ibutes two lists 

 of the birds of the Great and Little Barrier-Islands, on the latter 

 of which he observed a species of nocturnal habit, but, not being 

 able to obtain an example, he cannot even conjecture what kind 

 of bird it was. Several communications by various other authors 

 treat more or less incidentally of the species of Dinornis, and 

 especially of the period at which they existed, concerning which 

 much doubt seems to prevail among those persons in the colony 

 best fitted to form an opinion. Altogether it is most satisfactory 

 to find that, amid the distractions of war, our fellow subjects in 

 New Zealand have time to devote to science. 



IX. — Letters, Announcements, ^c. 



We have received the following letters, addressed to " To the 



Editor of 'The Ibis'":— 



Agra, June 6*, 1869. 



Sir, — 'The Ibis,' for April has just come to hand, audit 

 contains several passages in regard to which I wish to offer some 

 remarks. 



* [This letter did not reach us until after that of the 12th of the same 

 month, which was printed in our last number. — Ed.] 



