100 Letters, Announcements, fyc. 



The entire undersurface from the vent to the sternum is trans- 

 versely barred with alternate bands of white and stone-coloured 

 brown, each band being from a quarter to half an inch in 

 breadth; the tibiae are also barred with similar transverse 

 bands, but much more narrowly ; and many of the feathers on 

 the lower portion of the sternum have white points, forming 

 small angular spots on that part of the plumage. 



I am yours &c, 



J. H. GuRNEY. 



Sir, — In the July number of c The Ibis' a letter appears 

 from Dr. Buller on the genus Hieracidea, in which he says, 

 " with regard to the data furnished in Captain Hutton's cata- 

 logue (Cat. N. Z. Birds, Wellington, 1871) I would simply 

 remark that there is no evidence whatever of the sex having 

 been in a single case determined by dissection." As this 

 implies a doubt as to my scientific honesty, I should feel much 

 obliged to you if you would allow me also to make a few 

 " simple remarks " in reply. 



My catalogue was drawn up, as stated in the introduction, 

 chiefly from the collection of 273 birds' skins purchased from 

 Dr. Buller by the New-Zealand Government ; and the mea- 

 surements of H. nov(e-zealandiee were taken from his own 

 specimens in that collection, from those obtained by Mr. H. 

 Travers, an experienced collector, who always ascertains the 

 sex of his specimens by dissection, and marks them, and from 

 a pair shot together in the mountains of the South Island, and 

 forwarded to this museum by Mr. Huddleston, so well known 

 for the success that has attended his efforts to introduce birds 

 into the Province of Nelson. 



Of these there can be no doubt as to the correctness of the 

 sexes of both Mr. Traverses and Mr. Huddleston's specimens, 

 and I never had any doubt about Dr. Buller's before ; but as 

 he says that there is no evidence of the sex having been de- 

 termined in a single case, and as he must have been perfectly 

 aware that the measurements of five of the birds were from 

 his own specimens, I will not venture to contradict him ; for 

 he must know best about his own birds. However, just 



