50 • , Transactions. 



Grray's Hat by far fhe most complete and satisfactory synopsis tliat liad 

 hitherto been produced. 



The information which for many years past I have been assiduously 

 collecting, on the habits and economy of the yarious species, is reserved for 

 future elaboration, and will, I trust, ere long be presented to the public in 

 the form of a general work on the birds of New Zealand, illustrated by 

 numerous coloured drawings by an eminent zoological artist. 



As Dr. Haast fairly observes, in his letter covering the translation, since 

 the date of the " Essay " (February, 1865) many important additions have 

 been made to the list of our avifauna. Many corrections have also been 

 made in the synonymy. I may add that even since the publication of Herr 

 Finsch's notes, many neAv species have been added to the list. (See list 

 of fourteen new species at end.) 



" I beg to offer the following remarks on certain portions of Herr Finsch's 

 notes : — 



1.* Herr Finsch complains that I have not brought forward " conclusive 

 matter " as to the specific identity, or otherwise, of Hieracidea hrunnea. In 

 a paper forwarded to the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury in June, 

 1864, and again in the " Essay," I stated my belief that on a further acquaint- 

 ance with the species it would be found necessary to expunge Hieracidea 

 hrunnea from our list of species, and to regard it as S. novcs-zealandice in an 

 immature state. I have always held that one naturalist has no right to con- 

 demn a " species " set up by another and duly characterized, unless he can 

 prove to demonstration that it has no real existence. There has already been 

 sufficient confusion in this section of our ornithology, and I was unwilling 

 to alter the nomenclature till I could do so with absolute certainty. Since 

 the publication of the " Essay " I have been able to determine satisfactorily 

 this disputed point. 



In December last, during a visit to the Taupo district, I was fortunate 

 enough to discover a nest of this hawk, containing three young ones. The 

 parent birds were beautiful specimens of S. novce-zealandice. The young 

 birds, which I brought away, Avere covered with a thick growth of down of a 

 bluish-grey colour. One of them shortly afterwards died, but the others 

 (which are still alive in my aviary) developed in due time into perfect 

 examples of the so-called S. hrimnea. 



It will be seen, therefore, that this form is the young of H. novcs- 

 zealandicB, and not the female, as suggested by Herr Finsch. 



Mdco siobniger and Milmts isurus^ v^hich are quoted by Mr. Grurney as 

 ]^ew Zealand bii'ds, have never been found in this country. 



*" The references are marked in numerals in the appended translation. 



