464 Transactions.— Miscellaneous, 
South Island, are not so marked as in the instances already mentioned, nor 
would they be likely to excite so much attention. In neither of these is 
there any form common to both islands. 
If we include in this discussion the case of the Chatham Islands, we 
shall find that there are eight species of birds peculiar to that group and the 
main islands of New Zealand, and six peculiar to the group itself; that 
out of the latter one species is represented by separate species of the same 
genus found in each of the main islands, differing from them, however, in 
external characters only, and four species allied to, but differing a good deal 
from species common to both the main islands, whilst one species, of which 
only two specimens were ever obtained, differs from any member of the 
family to which it belongs. The first case is that of Petroica traversi, the 
second comprises Anthornis melanocephala, Spheneacus rufescens, Gerygone 
albofrontata, and Rallus dieffenbachii, and the last is Cabalus modestus. 
But, besides the peculiarities already noticed, there are others of a still 
more remarkable character. For example, the North Island possesses two 
birds which are not found anywhere else within the sub-region of which it 
forms part, namely, Pogonornis cincta and Heteralocha acutirostris. The 
first of these belongs to the Meliphagide, represented in the main islands 
and the Chathams by five species altogether, three of which are commonly 
distributed in the main islands, a fourth being a variety of one of those 
confined to the Chathams, the fifth being the bird under consideration. Its 
range even in the North Island, is restricted, although there is nothing in 
its habits or structure to prevent its being as widely distributed as the other 
members of the Meliphagide. The second case, that of Heteralocha acuti- 
rostris, is even more remarkable, for in its most especial feature, namely, 
the difference in the bill in the sexes, it is scarcely paralleled by any other 
bird. Its range, like that of Pogonornis, is also very restricted, but there 
is nothing in its habits or in its apparent wants, or in the general conditions 
of life in which it is placed, which would appear to render the forests of the 
South Island an unsuitable habitat. 
The South Island furnishes almost equally interesting cases, namely, 
Nestor notabilis and Notornis mantelli. There is nothing, à priori, against 
the assumption that the Notornis may have originally inhabited the North 
Island also, and have been extirpated by man. At present it is found only 
in the south-western parts of the South Island, and is evidently rare, only 
three specimens having as yet been obtained. It is an interesting fact that 
another species of this genus, Notornis alba, is found in Norfolk Island, one 
of the distant outliers of the New Zealand zoological sub-region, Nestor 
notabilis, commonly known as the Kea, belongs to the family of the parrots, 
but is said to have developed the instincts and habits of a bird of prey. It 
