Surrg.— On Hieracidea novee-zealandie and H. brunnea. 821 
hand, but they died next day, notwithstanding all the care I bestowed on 
them in keeping them warm, giving them good food, ete. The female was 
very plain in plumage. Her measurements agree nearly with those given 
in Dr. Buller’s paper already alluded to. Since I first read Dr. Buller's 
fine work in June, 1876, 1 have always adopted his mode of measuring a 
bird ; and am also very exact in doing so with this bird, as the measurements 
‘and “ sexing” alone must determine the species. I should have stated that 
the male of the above-mentioned nest was a very small bird. It had the 
smallest head of any specimen I have seen, very little larger than the 
Falco asalon of Europe and North America. 
I will speak of one more nest and I have done, as I do not desire to 
trespass too far. On 8rd November, 1878, I found a nest in Chapman’s 
Gully, a mile from the homestead, Mount Peel. The nest was situated 
under a large plant of snow-grass (Danthonia), and contained three beautiful 
young birds. I arrived at the nest as the male came with a native pipit in 
his talons. When he saw me lying on the ground near the nest, he dropped 
the bird and dashed at me, knocking off my hat. I rose and approached 
the nest, when the female likewise assailed me; but it would have been 
almost impossible for me to remove the young, as the parent birds were so 
violent. I then secured the two birds and brought the three. young ones 
home, reared them, and kept them six months; but I need not here give 
their history for that time, the rearing of the young of this species being 
ably described in the work already referred to. 
The measurements of the parent birds are as near as possible the same 
as those of the first-mentioned pair, except that the male was a little 
larger. 
I have possessed, from time to time, nearly thirty specimens of this bird, 
some varying a little in their markings and measurements. 
I have one beautiful female, the smallest that I have seen, and the most 
distinctly marked. _ 
Such is a little of my experience with the two species. I could relate 
many other facts proving or tending to prove that the species are distinct. 
The habits and general colouring of the plumage are almost indistinguish- 
able; but in all the specimens of H. nove-zealandie I have seen the 
plumage was much brighter, more glossy, and certainly more beautifully 
marked than in H. brunnea. 
Comparing the nestlings of H. nove-zealandie with nestlings of H. brun- 
nea, the latter never attained near the size of the former, although I kept 
them four months longer. They were more lively, fiercer, and appeared 
to me more untameable than H. nove-zealandie. I, however, never tried 
much to tame them. 
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