BuLLEE. — On Hieracidea in New Zealand. 213 



Art. XXI Y. — On the Existence of two Species q/* Hieracidea in New Zealand. 

 By Walter L. Buller, D.Sc, F.L.S., r.G.S. 



Plate IX. 



[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 28th October, 1874.] 



As ornithologists are still divided in opinion as to the propriety of separating 

 our Hieracidea ferox^' as a species from H. novce-zealandice, I am anxious to 

 lay before the Society some further evidence in support of my present view 

 that these birds are distinct. 



Among Hawks generally — and the genus Hieracidea is no exception to the 

 rule — the female is both larger and more handsomely marked than the male. 

 Such being the case, let us for our present argument compare an adult female 

 of Hieracidea novce-zealandi(B- with an adult female of H. ferox. This will 

 afford us the fairest mode of determining their relative size, and the best 

 means of ascertaining any differences in the plumage of the two species. 



For this purpose I shall lay before the meeting two specimens selected 

 from the type collection in the Canterbury Museum. The larger of these 

 birds was obtained at Castle Hill, and the other on the Bealey — well known 

 localities within this province — and both individuals proved on dissection to 

 be females. The following is a comparative statement of their measure- 

 ments : — 





H. novce 



■zealandice. 



H. ferox. 



Extreme length 



19-5 



inches 



16 inches 



Wing from flexure 



12 





10-5 



Tail 



8-5 





7-75 „ 



Culmen (from cere to tip) 



1 





•8 



Tarsus 



2-5 





2-2 



Middle toe and claw ... 



2-8 





2-25 „ 



Hind toe and claw 



1-85 





1*35 „ 



It will be seen from this that Hieracidea novce-zealandice is a considerably 

 larger bird than H ferox. It has a proportionately powerful bill, while its 

 legs and feet are decidedly more robust. In the colours and markings of the 

 plumage there is a general similarity between them ; but on a close 

 comparison of the two examples exhibited it will be seen that H. novce- 

 zealandice has the bars on the upper surface far more distinct and numerous 

 besides being of a brighter rufous, the tail-coverts are more conspicuously 

 marked, the bars on the tail are broader and whiter, and there is a larger 

 amount of white on the throat, breast, and abdomen. In the present example 

 of H. ferox the breast is much darker than in the other bird, the middle 

 portion of each feather being occupied by a broad lanceolate mark of blackish 



* H. ferox, Peale=ir. brunnea. {Vide Trans. N. Z. Inst., Vol. VI., p. 113). 



