Letters, Announcements, ^c. 535 



the ' Transactions of the New Zealand Institute^ for 1868 (i. p. 

 106), in which that ornithologist gives his reasons for supposing 

 Hieracidea brunnea, Gould, to be only the immature state of H. 

 novce-zelandice (Gmelin). I venture to think that Mr. Buller's 

 paper is not altogether conclusive as to this being the case ; and 

 I wish to state the question as it presents itself to my own mind^ 

 in the hope that Mr. Buller and other naturalists in New Zealand 

 will still further investigate this subject. 



The British Museum and some other European collections 

 contain specimens of two apparently distinct New-Zealand Fat- 

 cons, one of which considerably exceeds the other in size, the 

 larger being H. novce-zelandia, the smaller H. brunnea ; and the 

 question which requires solution is whether this difference in 

 size is specific or sexual. In favour of its being sexual there 

 is the fact that both birds have an adult dress, which is distinct 

 from the immature plumage, and that the coloration of the 

 larger and smaller birds is identical, both when immature and 

 also when adult. The following measurements will serve to 

 show the disparity in size between the two supposed species : — 



Lonff. Alae a ^i a rr< • Diof. med. 

 T7- -7 , T- . P Caud. Tarsi. '^ 



Hieracidea nova zelanai(B. tot. carp. c. ung. 



Adult, Aucliland Is. 3Ius. Brit 18 11-5 7-75 2-2o 2 



„ „ .... 19-5 ll-7o 8-25 2-25 2 



Immature, New Zeal., il^MS. AVnc. .. 19 11-75 8 "•25 2 



Hieracidea brunnea. 



AdiUt, New Zealand, Mus. Brit 15 9-5 6-25 2 1-5 



„ „ .... 14-75 925 6-25 2 1-5 



"$"immat.,NewZeal.ilfMs. iVo/-mc. 14-5 9-25 6 2-5 1-75 



Unfortunately, in none of these specimens, except the last, is 

 the sex recorded ; if this is correctly marked as a female, it of 

 course proves the larger race to be specifically distinct ; but it is 

 possible that this specimen may not have been correctly labelled. 



I may add one circumstance which has a slight bearing in 

 favour of the distinctness of the two species, viz. that I have 

 heard or read on the authority of some person who had observed 

 both birds in a state of nature, that the smaller one is much more 

 active and daring in its habits than the larger ; but I cannot now 

 recollect from whom I received this information, though I have 

 a strong impression that it came from a trustworthy source. 



