INTRODUCTION. 



XXV 



Many of the smaller species of Petrel, it may be observed, confine themselves to particular 

 islands : for example, Puflhrms carneipes is the commonest of birds on the Island of Karewa, 

 in the Bay of Plenty, but, so far as I am aware, has never been found breeding on any other 

 island off our coast. 



As with the Petrels, so in a limited sense with the Shags and Penguins, many of the 

 species of each having their particular island group, which they resort to, for breeding purposes, 

 to the exclusion of all others. 



Finally, I may refer to the Snipes, the local distribution of which is very remarkable 

 indeed. My Gallinago pasilla, the smallest of the Snipes, is an inhabitant of the Chatham 

 Islands, where it is apparently very plentiful, Mr. Kothschild having, as he informs me, received 

 from his collector, at one time, fifty-four specimens. Sir James Hector has recorded two specimens 



DIOMEDEA SALVINI NESTING ON THE BOUNTY ISLANDS. (Moms.) 



from New Zealand, but it is evidently only a straggler with us. Gallinago aucMandica appears 

 to be confined to the Auckland Islands, Gallinago tristrami (if really a distinct species) to 

 Antipodes Island, and Gallinago huegeli to the Snares. It will be seen, therefore, that these 

 island-species are very sedentary ; and they have no doubt acquired their distinctive characters 

 through long isolation. Whether they are accepted by all ornithologists as true species, or only 

 as local varieties, does not affect, in the slightest degree, the force of our argument in favour of the 

 creation of new forms by a process of descent with modification. But I have probably pursued 

 this branch of the subject quite far enough. There is another aspect of the question upon which 

 I should like to say a few words before I close. 



I have always stated my belief that our colossal forms of Dinornis were the most ancient and 

 were the first to become extinct. Those on which the Moa-hunters feasted (as attested by the 

 remains now found in the old kitchen-middens) were confessedly of a smaller stature. Probably 



d 



