3078 Tue Zootocist—JuNE, 1872. 
disappeared; but their diminutive representatives (the different species of 
Apteryx) still exist, in diminished numbers, in various parts of the country , 
and these are objects of the highest interest to the natural-historian. But 
apart from this view of the subject the avifauna of New Zealand presents 
many special features of considerable interest. A large proportion of the 
genera are peculiar to the country; while some of the forms are perfectly 
anomalous, being entirely without a parallel in any other part of the world. 
“Under the changed physical conditions of the country, brought about 
by the operations of colonization, some of these remarkable forms have 
already become almost, if not quite, extinct, and others are fast expiring. 
It has been the author's desire to collect and place on record a complete life- 
history of these birds before their final extirpation shall have rendered such 
a task impossible; and it will be his aim to produce a book at once accept- 
able to scientific men in general and useful to his fellow-colonists.” 
Happily for Science the author for twelve years has held an 
official position in New Zealand, which has enabled him to visit 
every part of the country, while his frequent intercourse with the 
natives has greatly assisted him in acquiring the information 
required for making such a work complete. An “introductory 
treatise” on the ornithology of New Zealand is promised, and a 
general introduction will be issued with the concluding part. 
A most important characteristic of Australasian zoology, dependent 
indeed on the evidence it affords of the truth of the theory of 
Creation, is that it has preserved those “links” in our systems 
which have been so long “missing;” one illustration of this is 
sufficient, and the kakapo affords that illustration: as a parrot with 
owl-like characters it shows the necessity of approximating (not 
associating) the parrots and the owls. I have always contended 
for this approximation, relying chiefly on the zygodactyle character 
of the owl’s toes: but evident as this approach is on the part of 
the owls, there was still wanting an evidence of approach on the 
part of the parrots; the kakapo supplies that want. Again, the 
« countless numbers of gigantic brevipennate,” or absolutely apterous 
birds, which once inhabited New Zealand, prove that our 
expressions “ abnormal,” “ isolated,” &c., as applied to the ostrich, 
emeu, or cassowary, are simply so many apt illustrations of our 
ignorance, for it is now certain that the large proportion of the 
avipopulation of Australasia was once apterous and ratite, and the 
only alternative left open for our consideration is whether the 
Dinornis is absolutely dead or has migrated and been evolved into 
something else. 
