58 Transactions. 
Art. VIa.— Notes on Mr. Walter Buller’s * Essay on the Ornithology of 
New Zealand.” By Dr. Orro Fryscu, Bremen.* Translated from the 
German by R. L. Holmes, F.M.S., Assistant Secretary, New Zealand 
Institute. 
[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 25th August, 1868. ] 
Tur short treatise of twenty pages, with the above title, appeared at the 
time of the New Zealand Exhihition, 1865. A silver medal was awarded 
to the author by the Commissioners, “For his interesting Essay on the 
Ornithology of New Zealand, and the colleetion of admirably preserved 
specimens of New Zealand birds exhibited by him." 
This first publication on the birds of that distant land appeared to the 
friends and students of exotic ornithology to be of sufficient interest to 
justify an unabridged translation of this remarkably scarce pamphlet + being 
rendered; the more so as it contains a great deal of interesting information, 
and some new and original matter on the birds of New Zealand and their 
habits. 
At the same time it becomes the duty of the translator to make some 
criticising remarks, f since during the last two years our knowledge of the 
birds of that isolated land has been enlarged in many particulars, and cor- 
rections have to be made here and there in consequence. 
A careful perusal of the “ Essay ” shows clearly that it has been compiled 
almost exclusively from G. R. Gray's “ List of the Birds of New Zealand and 
the adjacent Islands, " (* Ibis," July, 1862,) and * Birds of New Zealand, ” in 
Voyage of ‘Erebus’ and ‘Terror, 1855; and we may remark that dá 
author has followed these praiseworthy works much too closely. 
One might have expected from an ornithologist established in New 
Zealand itself, some more decided information on many disputed species. 
* A translation of Mr. Buller's Essay was published in Germany by the distinguished 
ornithologist, Dr. Otto Finsch, with the following notes and criticising remarks appended. 
A copy was sent by the author to Dr. Haast, Canterbury, at whose request these notes 
were translated into English and forwarded to the Wellington Philosophical Society. The 
‘original Essay was distributed among Naturalists in 1865, and is included in the present 
vou (Vide post.) —E». 
T The only copy that has yet reached Europe was received by the publisher of the “This,” 
Prof. Alfred Newton, in Cambridge, who with the greatest kindness and courtesy sent it to 
me isi my use, for which I now publicly return him my best thanks. The treatise was first 
reviewed in the January number of the “ Ibis," 1867, p. 131. 
t Dr. Finsch draws attention to the fact that the names of the translators of different 
portions of Mr. Buller's Essay, with their respective observations on the same—for which 
AMA scope De aes e—are appended to each section. As I can find no other name so 
placed Dr. Finsch's own, I have duni dp altogether.—R. L, H. [Dr. Finsch has 
ETT 
