234 Transactions.— Zoology. 
over which the moa roamed. This must have been followed by a long insular 
period, ending in another continent-still disconnected from Australia and 
South America, which continent again sank and New Zealand assumed 
somewhat of its present form. 
Passing now to the Carinate division of birds the first thing that strikes 
us is the fragmentary nature of this part of our avi-fauna (if we exclude the 
Grallæ and Web-footed birds), thus strongly contrasting with the Struthious 
division. 
Of the first six orders we possess, excluding the Chatham and Auckland 
Islands, forty-five species, thirty of which are endemic. These have been 
referred to thirty-one genera, ten of which are found nowhere else, and these 
thirty-one genera belong to twenty families, one of which (Stringopide) is 
peculiar to New Zealand. Two families only, the honey-eaters (Meliphagide) 
and the starlings (Sturnide) contain more than two genera. The first shows 
affinity to Australia, but it must be remarked that out of the four species of 
this family, belonging to four different genera, one genus only (Zosterops) is 
found in Australia, and the little bird (the “ white-eye ”) that belongs to this 
genus is known to be quite a recent arrival in this country, The Sturnide on 
the other hand show an affinity with Polynesia, for one species only (Calornis 
metallicus) of this family is found in the north of Australia and New Guinea. 
Tt should, however, be noticed that three other species are found in the latter 
island. In this family also our three species belong to three different genera, 
two of which (Creadion and Heteralocha) are found nowhere else, while the 
other (Aplonis) is very characteristic of Polynesia, and Aplonis caledonicus, 
which is said to have been found in New Zealand, occurs also in Norfolk 
Island and New Caledonia. 
It is remarkable that our two owls should both be peculiar to New 
Zealand, and that one of them (Sceloglaua albifacies) should belong to a genus 
not found elsewhere, for the owls are usually widely spread birds, more so indeed 
than the hawks. It is also worthy of notice that Strix delicatula, which 
extends its range over most of the Pacific Islands and Australia, should be 
absent from New Zealand. 
Our parrots present several points of interest. The kakapo (Séringops 
habroptilus) is found nowhere else, the genus Nestor extends only to Norfolk 
Island, while our paroquets, although belonging to a genus (Platycercus) 
equally plentiful both in Australia and Polynesia, show a greater affinity to 
the latter, one species (P. nove-zealandie) ranging not only to Norfolk 
Island but also to New Caledonia. It is remarkable that we have no 
representatives of the cockatoos and grass-paroquets so common in Australia 
and Tasmania, for our own climate is quite suitable for them. The absence of 
Polynesian forms is not so remarkable as they belong chiefly to more tropical 
