462 Transactions.— Miscellaneous. 
of finches, which formed the greater number of the species of birds found on 
the islands, he had sufficient reasons for believing that some of the species 
of the sub-group Georpiza were confined to separate islands. 
The occurrence of a similar peculiarity in the distribution of a considerable 
proportion of the birds of New Zealand, struck me whilst engaged in prepar- 
ing the tables annexed to my former paper, and at the same time drew my 
attention to the fact that the features which so much impressed Mr. Darwin 
in connection with the organic productions of the Galipagos, also charac- 
terized to a large extent those of New Zealand. In order that you may be 
enabled to appreciate this peculiarity, I propose to call your attention to 
some of the more remarkable instances in the case of the avi-fauna and 
flora. 
Beginning with the case of the birds, you will find, on reference to 
table iii., annexed to my last year's paper, that there are eighteen species 
peculiar to the main islands of New Zealand, nine peculiar to the North 
Island, and sixteen peculiar to the South Island. Of the species peculiar 
to the North Island, there is only one belonging to any genus which con- 
tains more than one species and is represented by other species of the same 
genus in both islands. Of those peculiar to the South Island, there are six 
belonging to genera which contain more than one species, and are repre- 
sented by species in both islands, but these six comprize two species of 
Nestor and two of Apteryz. 
The eight species which remain in the North Island belong to genera 
not represented by any common form in both islands, and ten of the species 
peculiar to the South Island are similarly unrepresented; and yet, of the 
nine species peculiar to the North Island, we have seven which are repre- 
sented by allied species in the South Island, whilst except the South Island 
species so represented in the North Island, none of the remaining nine are 
represented by species in the latter island. 
The remarkable character of this distribution becomes even more strik- 
ing, when attention is called to some of the special instances. Take, for 
example, the case of Orthonya albicilla, the North Island form of the genus, 
and compare it with Orthonyx ochrocephala of the South Island. To the 
eye no two birds can be more distinct, and yet in their notes, in their move- 
ments, in their mode of feeding and in their nesting, these birds are 
practically undistinguishable, indicating unmistakably their descent from a 
common ancestor. Singularly enough, however, the North Island bird is 
found frequenting the thickets in the rich and varied forest down to sea- 
level, whilst the South Island one is rarely found outside of the Fagus 
forest, or below an elevation of 500 or 600 feet. Still the curious fact 
