154 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Hybrid Birds at the Crystal Palace Show. — Some correspondence 

 on the subject of the Blackbird and Thrush hybrid, exhibited at the late 

 Crystal Palace Show, has elicited the information that it was taken early in 

 June, 1892, a few miles from Northampton. The nest in which it was 

 found contained three young birds, of which the remaining two died a few 

 days after their capture. A Thrush which flew off the nest is believed to 

 have been the mother of the brood. I was unable to see the bird exhibited 

 as a Chaffinch and Canary mule (p. 104), and would like to know the 

 opinion of anybody who has had the opportunity of examining it, for I am 

 not aware of any authenticated instance of such a hybrid, and some 

 enquiries made into the history of the specimen in question have led to no 

 satisfactory result. — A. Holte Macpherson (51, Gloucester Place, Hyde 

 Park). 



Preservation of New Zealand Native Birds. — It is exceedingly 

 satisfactory to learn that steps have been taken by the authorities of New 

 Zealand to preserve from total extinction the native birds, which are being 

 destroyed in many parts of the colony by the spread of population and by 

 the destructive animals, such as pigs, cats, and other Carnivora introduced 

 by the Europeans. The most obvious method of securing their preservation 

 is the devotion of one of the numerous islands, situated on the coast, to 

 their exclusive use. With a view to carry out this arrangement, Mr. Henry 

 Wright, of Wellington, visited, at the request of the Hon. Mr. Seddon, the 

 island now known as the Little Barrier, or, as it was formerly called, Hauturu 

 Island, situated to the west of New Zealand in 36° south latitude. This 

 island is almost circular, being four and a half miles north to south, and 

 three and a half east to west, rising in the centre to over 2000 ft. ; parts of 

 it are extremely rugged, and others comparatively flat and fit for human 

 habitation. The precipitous parts of the country are covered with dense 

 bush and undergrowth, and there are numerous creeks running into the 

 interior, so that a sufficiently diversified country exists for the preservation 

 of the different kinds of birds. At present, the island, which is the property 

 of a New Zealand chief named Tenetahi, is being deprived of its valuable 

 Kauri pines, which are being felled and sold for timber. This, it is hoped, 

 will be put a stop to immediately on the sale of the island to the Government, 

 otherwise all the accessible trees will soon be exhausted. The island is 

 particularly adapted for the preservation of the birds. Mr. Wright says : — 

 " Writing with a thorough knowledge of all the North Island, especially 

 north of Auckland, where I formerly lived, I am able to say there is no 

 other part of it where native birds are to be found in anything like such 

 profusion or variety. Buller's Apteryx or Kiwi is still there, although the 

 young birds are being destroyed by the cats, which are, unfortunately, 

 numerous." These should be kept down, Mr. Wright thinks, by offering 

 a reward of 9d. or Is. a tail for their destruction. The wild pigs, which 



