THE ZooLocist—APRIL, 1875, 4411 
captured when quite small by one of Mr. Oakden’s shepherds, and 
both families presented to the Canterbury Acclimatization Society. 
Mr. Oakden stated to the writer that the birds from the one nest 
were readily distinguishable from those of the other nest, even from 
first; in size there was a marked difference,—perhaps of about 
one-third,—this contrast of size being maintained up to the time 
when some of the birds were shipped for export to England. The 
writer has seen numbers of both species, and has a series of many 
specimens that have been collected in the course of some twenty 
years. In life, besides the marked difference in size and in robust- 
ness of frame, the sparrow-hawk (falco ferox) looks flatter about 
the head and carries the wings more prominently forward, this 
carriage giving the bird a less rounded appearance than is ob- 
servable in the larger species. The smaller falcon is more savage 
and resolute, swifter in flight than its congener, and will soon rid a 
pigeon-house of its inmates. 
Last December some very robust specimens of Falco Nove- 
Zealandiz were observed by the writer about the sounds of the 
south-west coast of this island. Those birds were observed on some 
occasions to pursue sea-gulls. Two females, shot in Preservation 
Inlet, measured as under :— 
; : : Spread of wings 
Total length. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. from tip to tip. 
No.1.—18 inches. llinches. 7-8 inches. 2-9 inches. 32 inches. 
No.2.—18 __,, ii Ie aes Bayes aos 3574 
2 
Habitat, rocks and cliffs towering above the sea. From the crop 
of one specimen was taken the remains of a very large rat, one 
hind leg of which had been swallowed whole. These very robust 
specimens of our larger falcon could not well be identified with the 
same species as the light, dashing little sparrow-hawk. 
If the cabinet ornithologist will not permit the Fauna to possess 
two species, Falco ferox = F. brunnea must be the young state of 
Falco Nove-Zealandiz: in this case we must try to believe that the 
greatest boldness and audacity in attacking, the greatest activity 
‘and swiftness of wing in pursuing, is exhibited by the quail-hawk 
before it has reached its adult state; neither may we have regard 
to the difference of size which specimens of either sex very often 
present. 
Near the Ashburton one of the writer’s sons, Geoffrey Potts, saw 
a large weka (Ocydromus) successfully attacked by a quail-hawk. 
