BurLER.—On the Ornithology of New Zealand. 8381 
have had two specimens of O. Juscus sent to me from the Waiau district, on 
the eastern side of the alps—the region of O. finschi, mihi., so I now think 
that O. finschi is probably only the young of O. fuscus." 
Apterix mantelli. 
I have already placed on record my own views as to the specific 
value of the North Island Kiwi, as compared with Apteryx australis of 
the South Island, and I have seen no reason since the publica- 
tion of my work to change or modify them, It is desirable, however, to 
have the arguments on both sides stated fully, and I have therefore taken 
the trouble to translate from the German Dr. Finsch’s last published 
remarks on this subject in the ** Journal für Ornithologie,” from which it 
will be seen that this naturalist is still opposed to the recognition of A. 
mantelli :— 
* As hitherto, I have had no opportunity of examining any reliable 
specimens from the North Island—it naturally was not possible for me to 
make sure about the value of those characters. I am indebted now to the 
kindness of Dr. Buller for two specimens from the North Island, so that I 
am able to make a direct comparison of specimens from both islands. 
Besides the two specimens from the North Island, I have four old birds (two 
male and two female), and a young one from the South Island before me; 
also, an old one and a half-grown bird, without any definite locality, conse- 
quently a total of nine specimens in different stages and conditions of age 
and sex. To refer, in the first place, to the tinge of colour. I had before 
this, opportunities of observing that in specimens from the South Island the 
colour is by no means constant, but on the contrary varies from greyish- 
brown to rusty-red brown. The latter tone of colour, as is well known, is 
produced by the terminal third-part of the feathers being of that shade. 
Each individual feather is coloured either dark brownish-grey or brown, 
changing gradually towards the tip into rusty brown ; the single filaments 
or barbs of the feathers, which stand far apart from each other, terminate, 
however, in black hair-like tips, which impart to the whole plumage the 
peculiar bristle-like character. In this fundamental point of colouring the 
specimens from both islands absolutely agree, and the feathers which I have 
before me, and which have been carefully pulled out, do not betray dif- 
ferences of any kind. Only, as I have already said, the intensity of the 
rust-brown on the third part of the tip of each feather is sometimes stronger, 
sometimes feebler, and on this depends the general colouring of the 
specimen. One specimen from the North Island shows the same darker, 
and of a more vivid rust-brown than examples from the South Island. It 
does not, however, appear quite so dark as a specimen in the Bremen col- 
lection, without a positively defincd locality, of which I have already 
