40 



ABSTRACT. 



Weight of recent entire specimen 

 Deduct weight of skeleton 



Deduct weight of skin, 180 grains 

 ,, „ viscera 320 „ 



Weight of the muscles . . . 6 50 



Special. 



Weight of single vertebra (the 80 th being the largest) 1 grain. 



Number of Vertebral. 



Body. ........ 110 



Caudal ........ 100 



bs. 



oz. 



grs. 







8 















410 







7 



70 







1 



20 



Total number . . . .210 



Note. — Number of Vertebra determined by Dr. Knox : 

 Ophisurus . . . .210 

 Eel (common) . . . 110 



Art. VIII. — On the Birds of New Zealand. By T. H. Botts. 



(With Illustrations.) 



[Bead before the Wellington Philosophical Society, July 17, 1869.] 



INTRODUCTION. 



The settlers of New Zealand, so large a proportion of whom are engaged in 

 rural occupations, which placing them in immediate contact with the works of 

 nature, through observation and study ripening into confidential intercourse, 

 will, doiibtless, feel deeply indebted to Mr. Buller for his valuable essay on 

 our Birds, which most interesting division of oiir Fauna exhibits a notable 

 exception to the comparative dearth of animal life in these islands. When we 

 consider, that from the absence of almost every variety of game, we are 

 debarred the enjoyment of those sporting instincts and habits, which are 

 characteristic of our countrymen wherever they may sojourn, the Natural 

 History of our birds may be found an interesting and useful study, wherewith 

 to beguile many a listless hour ; wherever our pioneers of civilization are 

 engaged in subduing the wilderness, near the grateful shade of the forest, in 

 tending flocks on the hill pastures, or cultivating the level acres of the plains. 

 Nor is it for the merits of that interesting treatise only that we feel thus 

 indebted to its author ; its publication has called forth a critical review of it 

 from the pen of Dr. Otto Finsch, of Bremen. The combined result has been 

 of great advantage to the Student of Ornithology, by the removal of certain 

 doubts and difficulties in the nomenclature, and the presentation of a nearly 

 complete list of New Zealand birds, corrected to a recent date. Mr. Buller 

 not only deserves well of his fellow-colonists for what he has done, and merits 

 our thanks for benefits conferred, but we must feel prospectively grateful 



