16 



ash-colour, the underparts having a rosy-purple tinge. The primaries are ashy grey ; and both 

 these and the tail-feathers present, on the under surface, obsolete bands, as though they had been 

 washed out. The shafts of all the feathers on the upper parts are dark grey, presenting the 

 appearance of finely pencilled lines. The bill, as also a superciliary line of hairs, and those cover- 

 ing the lores, black ; cere, tarsi, and toes yellow. The taxidermist to whom this handsome speci- 

 men was entrusted, with a full appreciation of its value, charged the modest sum of eight guineas 

 for stuffing it, and had to be compelled to give it up by process of law. 



Before passing on to the next division of this order, it may be well to mention those other 

 diurnal birds of prey that are alleged to have been killed in New Zealand, although there is not 

 such evidence of the fact as would warrant our including them, at present, in our list. 



Mr. Gould has presented me with a beautiful specimen of his White-bellied Sea-Eagle 

 {Ichthya'etus leucogaster), which was said to have been procured in New Zealand. This species 

 has been observed along the whole southern coast of Australia, from Moreton Bay on the east to 

 Swan River on the west, including Tasmania and all the small islands in Bass's Straits ; and as it 

 is a powerful flier, there is no physical reason why it should not occur sometimes as a straggler on 

 the New-Zealand coast. Mr. Gould had satisfied himself that this specimen was obtained there, 

 although unable to ascertain the precise locality. In corroboration of its presumed occurrence, I 

 may mention that an officer of the 14th Regiment, who was a good sportsman and a tolerable 

 naturalist, assured me that he had actually seen and fired upon a "Sea-Eagle" on the rocks near 

 the entrance to the Wellington harbour. 



Two other species of Accipitres, the Falco subniger (a rare bird, inhabiting South Australia) 

 and the Milvus isurus, or Australian Kite, have had New Zealand assigned as their habitat, on the 

 authority of Mr. J. H. Gumey, who, hi a letter to 'The Ibis' (1870, p. 536), offers the following 

 explanation : — " My authority for quoting New Zealand as a habitat for the former was the 

 veteran ornithologist, M. Jules P. Verreaux, who informed me that a New-Zealand specimen had 

 passed through his hands. With regard to the latter (Mihus isurus), the Norwich Museum 

 possesses a specimen which I obtained from Mr. A. D. Bartlett, who assured me, at the time, that 

 he had received it from New Zealand, and had satisfied himself that it had been killed in that 

 country. Probably both these species, if not indigenous to New Zealand, may occasionally occur 

 there as accidental visitors from the Australian continent." In support of Mr. Gumey 's surmise, 

 I may state that the account sent to me by Dr. Haast, of a Hawk observed by him in the Southern 

 Alps, although, unfortunately, not secured, seems to accord with that given by Captain Start of 

 the Australian Falco subniger. For the further elucidation of this question we must trust to the 

 intelligence and diligence of Mr. F. Fuller and other local collectors. 



