206 Transactions.—Zoology. 
Art. XXI.—Remarks on some Birds of New Zealand. 
By Orro Friyscu, Ph.D. of Bremen, Hon. Mem. N.Z. Inst. 
[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 5th June, 1872.] 
TurovuaH the kindness of my friend Dr. Julius Haast, I had the pleasure to 
receive a collection of bird-skins, which, in connection with some others 
kindly sent me for comparison by Capt. Hutton and Dr, Buller, enabled me 
to proceed with my studies of the New Zealand avifauna, and to become 
better acquainted with a number of its species. In accordance with these 
investigations I have prepared an article which will shortly appear in the 
“Journal fur Ornithologie,” under the title “Revision of the Birds of New 
Zealand.” 
T intend to report in that paper, not only on my own researches but also 
on the useful labours of my antipodean ornithological brethren, in order to 
make known to our German colleagues the interesting reports given by Dr. 
Buller, Capt. Hutton, Mr. Potts and Mr. Travers. The excellent accounts on 
habits and breeding as published by Mr. Potts will especially be thankfully 
received, and I regret that I was only able to give extracts from his very 
interesting papers. 
My paper will also contain a new revised enumeration of all New Zealand 
birds, after a new systematical arrangement which proved to be necessary. 
The total number of species amounts to 149, but amongst them are still 
some which on further investigation will lose their specific rank. 
I thought it would be of interest to my ornithological friends in New 
Zealand to offer them the most important facts of my researches before 
publishing them in the German Journal, but I beg to apologize for their 
shortness and imperfection, and therefore must refer them to my forthcoming 
extensive paper, 
Falco nove-zealandic, Grol. 
After a careful examination of specimens of both sexes from the South 
and North Islands, I see no reason for a specific separation of F. brunneus, G. 
Mr. Gurney (Ibis, 1870, p. 535) is inclined to believe that there exist two 
species, differing only in size, but his larger form (nove-zealandic) surely refers 
only to the large females, 
Full accounts and descriptions of this species will be found in my paper. 
Circus assimilis, Jard. 
T should like to see an old specimen in order to prove whether this species 
in New Zealand ever assumes the dress of the old Australian bird. 
