Buller. — On the Ornithology of New Zealand. 199 



Observations on the range and habits of our birds is the kind of informa- 

 tion that we look for from residents in the country, and are most desirous of 

 encouraging. But for the guidance of those who may be anxious to go a step 

 further and describe for themselves any new form that may be discovered I 

 beg to offer the following hints and suggestions : — 



It is comparatively easy to describe a bird for all practical purposes, that 

 is to say, with sufficient definiteness to entitle the description to general 

 respect, and to establish the author's claim to the right of priority in naming 



the species. The first thing to be done is to take the measurements, and in 

 expressing these the formula of inches and decimal fractions will be found the 

 most convenient. The following are those which are usually considered 

 sufficient : — The extreme length ; the full extent of the expanded wings ; the 

 wing from the carpal flexure to the end of the longest primary ; the tail, 

 from the root to the end of the longest feathers ; the culmen, measuring from 

 the base of the mandible to the tip, following the curvature, if any ; the 

 lower mandible from the gape to the tip ; the tibia, if bare ; the tarsus ; the 

 middle toe and claw ; the hind toe and claw. 



In taking the extreme length my rule has always been to measure from 

 the tip of the bill, following its curvature, if any, to the end of the tail. The 

 advantage of this plan is that by deducting the measurements of the culmen 

 and the tail, which are given separately, you obtain the exact length of the 

 body. This is only useful, however, for purposes of comparison, because the 

 measurements of a bird stretched at full length do not afford any correct idea 

 of its relative size as a living bird. 



Next, as to form and colour. In order to make the description intelligible 

 some knowledge is essential of the names usually applied to the various parts 

 of a bird and to the feathers which cover them. The accompanying diagram 

 (Plate VII.), with the references, will I hope be found useful as an explanatory 

 index to the terms commonly used in describing a bird. The bird selected for 



goiddi). The technical terms may 

 be multiplied to almost any extent, but for the sake of simplicity I have 

 indicated those only of which a knowledge is absolutely necessary. 



The definition of colours in their endless diversity of tone and shade is 

 perhaps the most difficult part of the task, owing to there being no recognised 

 or commonly received standard of nomenclature. Every naturalist has, to 

 some extent, a standard of his own, and we repeatedly find different terms 

 used by different writers to express the same particular idea of colour and 

 shade. There is less danger of inconvenience or confusion from this cause in 

 a large establishment like the British Museum, or the Natural History 

 Museum at the Jardin des Plantes, where all describers have daily access to 

 certain well-known types, and where, in consequence, there is a common 



ircus 





