206 Transactions. — Zoology. 



Art. XXI. — Remarhs on some Birds of New Zealand. 

 By Otto Finsch^ Ph.D. of Bremen, Hon. Mem. N.Z. Inst. 



l^Read hefore the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 5th June, 1872.] 



Through 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." 



I 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 w^ill 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 novce-zealandice, Gml. 



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. hrunneus, G. 

 Mr. Gurney {Ihis, 1870, p. 535) is inclined to believe that there exist two 

 species, difiering only in size, but his larger form (novce-zealandice) surely refers 

 only to the large females. 



Full accounts and descriptions of this species will be found in my paper. 



Circus assimilis, Jard. 



I 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. 



