5S Transact mis. 



Art. VIa. — Notes on Mr. Walter Bidler's " Essay on tlie Ornitliology of 

 New Zealand.'" By Dr. Otto FiisrscH, Bremen.* Translated from the 

 Grerman by E. L. Holmes, F.M.S., Assistant Secretary, New Zealand 

 Institute. 



\_Read lefore the Wellington JPhilosopJiical Society, 25tli August, 1868.] 



The sliort treatise of twenty pages, with the above title, appeared at the 

 time of the New Zealand Eshihition, 1865. A silver medal was awarded 

 to the author by the Commissioners, "For his interesting Essay on the 

 Ornithology of New Zealand, and the collection of admirably preserved 

 specimens of New Zealand birds exhibited by him." 



This first publication on the birds of that distant land appeared to the 

 friends and students of exotic ornithology to be of suificient interest to 

 justify an unabridged translation of this remarkably scarce pamphlet f being 

 rendered ; the more so as it contains a great deal of interesting information, 

 and some new and original matter on the birds of New Zealand and their 

 habits. 



At the same time it becomes the duty of the translator to make some 

 criticising remarks, J since during the last two years our knowledge of the 

 birds of that isolated land has been enlarged in many particulars, and cor- 

 rections have to be made here and there in consequence. 



A careful perusal of the " Essay " shows clearly that it has been compiled 

 almost exclusively from Gr. E,. Gray's "List of the Birds of New Zealand and 

 the adjacent Islands," (" Ibis," July, 1862,) and " Bicds of New Zealand," in 

 Voyage of ' Erebus' and ' Terror,' 1855 ; and we may remark that the 

 author has followed these praiseworthy works much too closely. 



One might have expected from an ornithologist established in New 

 Zealand itself, some more decided information on many disputed species* 



* A translation of Mr. Bnller's Essay was published in Germany by the distinguished 

 ornithologist, Dr. Otto Finsch, with the following notes and criticising remarks appended. 

 A copy was sent by the author to Dr. Haast, Canterbury, at whose request these notes 

 were translated into English and forwarded to the Wellington Philosophical Society. The 

 original Essay was distributed among Naturalists in 1865, and is included in the present 

 volume. {Vide post.) — Ed. 



f The only copy that has yet reached Europe was received by the publisher of the "Ibis/" 

 'Prof. Alfi'ed l^ewton, in Cambridge, who with the greatest kindness and courtesy sent it to 

 "'ine for my use, for which I now pablicly return him my best thanks. The treatise was first 

 -reviewed in the January number of the " Ibis," 1867, p. 131. 



X Dr. Einsch draws attention to the fact that the names of the translators of different 

 portions of Mr. Buller's Essay, with their respective observations on the same — for which 

 tthey are solely responsible — are appended to each section. As I can find no other name so 

 placed except Dr. Einsch's own, I have omitted it altogether. — E. L. H. [Dr. Einsch has 

 since written that he alone was translator. — Ed.] 



