20,2 Messrs. G. j\r. Mathews and Tom Iredale : 



of the higher groupings, so that they should agree with 

 that adopted iu the ' Haud-hst of Birds ' of E. B. Sharpe. 

 That Hand-list^ however, mainly utilised the nomenclature 

 introduced by Buller as regards the genera and species of 

 birds in the INew Zealand Fauna. Moreover, as it was based 

 on the 12ih edition of Linne's ' Systema Naturse/ 1766, 

 instead of the 10th edition, 1758, as now universally adopted, 

 changes from that cause are necessary. The rigid application 

 of the Law of Priority, which we hold to be absolutely the 

 only road to finality, is the reason for other alterations. We 

 are obliged to state, however, that the majority of the 

 corrections made hereafter cannot be laid to either of the 

 preceding debatable points, but rather to the carelessness of 

 earlier workers. Instead of the descriptions of the birds 

 being carefully read, guesswork appears to have been thought 

 good enough for New Zealand birJs. Indeed, it seems to 

 have been quite the usual course when a new or hitherto 

 unnoticed bird was observed, and this is ajjparent from the 

 w^ritings of Buller, Hutton, and Finsch, each of whom 

 indulged in it in certain cases. 



We have endeavoured, therefore, to fix the names so that 

 all workers can cheek our results, and for that reason have 

 appended explanatory notes to most of the alterations. By 

 this means we hope to make our List fulfil its title. 



In fixing the type-localities of the earlier species we had 

 first to unravel Sparrman's connection with New Zealand. 

 This does not seem to have been done before, as it caused 

 us much research to disentangle it. We find that Sparrman 

 accompanied Eorster on Cook's Second Voyage, at Forster's 

 expense, as a salaried assistant to the latter. It conse- 

 quently follows that Sparrman's collection must have been 

 made under Forster's supervision, and after Forster had 

 completed his own wants. We have, therefore, decided to fix 

 as the type-locality of all the species of New Zealand birds 

 described by Sparrman, that absolutely known from Forster's 

 descriptions and Geo. Forster's drawings. This explanation 

 is necessary, as Sparrman gave as locality of many of the birds, 

 '' Caj)e of Good Hope." His names have priority over those 

 of Gmelin, who latinised Latham's descri[)tions drawn up from 



