11 



Di\ Fitzinger, as from New Zealand, under the title of Dactylocnemis 

 Wullerstorfii — so named in compliment to the Commander-in-chief of the 

 " Novara " Expedition. I have not been able to obtain Dr. Fitzinger's 

 description of this species, but it is verj certain that there is no house-gecko 

 indigenous to ISTew Zealand. 



Lampropholis moco, Fitz., is identical with Mocoa Zelandica, Gray. 



{Errata, page 5 : — Insert in Diagnosis of 



HiNULiA, — "Lower eyelid covered with scales." 

 MocoA, — "Lower eyelid with a transparent disk."] 



Art III. — Critical Notes on the Ornithological portion of " Taylor's JSfew 

 Zealand and its Inhabitants.'''' By Walter Buller, F.L.S., F.G.S. 



{Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, September 17, 1870.] 



In offering to the Society some critical notes on the Rev. Mr. Taylor's recently 

 published account of the New Zealand Birds,* I need scarcely say that I am 

 actuated solely by a desire to serve the cause of Truth, which is the foundation 

 of all human science. Mr. Taylor has devoted much labour and research to 

 many of the subjects treated of in his book, and deserves thanks rather than 

 criticism at the hands of his fellow colonists. But, as the reverend author 

 will himself admit, it would be injurious to the interests of science, to 

 allow his mistakes in describing the Ornithology of New Zealand, to go forth 

 to the world uncontradicted. Indeed, to make a practical application of this 

 truth, had some friendly critic reviewed the Natural History portion of Mr. 

 Taylor's first edition of the work, published in 1855, it woiild have prevented 

 the reproduction of some very flagrant errors in the new edition, fifteen years 

 later. Moreover, I feel sure that my esteemed friend, Mr. Taylor, will, as a 

 true lover of science, receive my critical i-emarks in the same spirit as that 

 which dictates them. 



1. The number of ascertained species belonging to the New Zealand 

 Avifauna, is stated by Mr-. Taylor at 136. Our last published lists contain 

 the names of 160, a few of which, however, are of doubtful specific value. 



2. The Koekoea {Eudynatnys taitensis) does not, "as is said by some," 

 hibernate in New Zealand by " burying itself in the mud at the bottoms of 

 rivers," but migrates to the warm islands of the South Pacific. The form of 

 its wings is sufficient to determine the migratory nature of this bird. 



* Te Ilea a Maui ; or. New Zecdand and its Inhabitants. By the Eev. Richard Taylor, 

 M.A., F.G.S. London: 1870. 



