lx 
INTRODUCTION. 
References. — 1, forehead ; 2, crown or vertex ; 3, hind head ; 4, nape ; 5, lore or loral space ; 6, eye (shaded margin iris) ; 
7, ear-coverts; 8, hind neck ; 9, side of neck ; 10, back or dorsal region; 11, rump or uropygium ; 12, upper tail-coverts ; 
13, tail-feathers or rectrices ; 14, primaries or quills ; 15, secondaries ; 16, larger wing-coverts ; 17, lesser wing-coverts 
(including “median ”) ; 18, carpal flexure, or bend of wing ; 19, scapulars ; 20, chin ; 21, throat ; 22, fore neck ; 23, breast ; 
24, abdomen ; 25, vent; 26, under tail-coverts ; 27, tibial plumes ; 28, cere ; 29, ridge of upper mandible or culmen ; 30, 
lower mandible ; 31, tarsus ; 32, middle toe and claw ; 33, hind toe and claw, or hallux. 
CLASSIFICATION. 
In order to show at a glance the scheme I have adopted for the systematic arrangement of the 
existing Avifauna of New Zealand, I shall give here a Synopsis of the classification, with the super- 
ficial characters of each genus as at present defined. 
As the characters ot the genera are given in their entirety, I have thought it unnecessary to 
overload this section by adding the characters of the Orders and Families, which may be obtained 
from any text-book*. 
I do not underrate the importance of the internal organs for determining generic distinctions. 
“ But ” (as Dr. Gunther says, in his Preface to vol. vii. of the British Museum Catalogue of Birds) 
“ it seems to me that investigations in the latter direction must lead to more numerous subdivisions 
than Ornithologists are inclined to admit at present.” 
Of every endemic group, except the Owls (which do not differ widely from the genus Carine), 
I have given a woodcut in illustration of one or more of the characters. 
* J?or the generic characters I have, for the most part, relied on Mr. G. R. Gray's ‘Genera of Birds,’ in which work, although 
somewhat out of date, the definitions, taken as a whole, are marvellously correct. Many of the genera have since been split up 
by other ornithologists, but the broad lines remain ; and while following these I have not hesitated to introduce such alterations 
and modifications as I deemed necessary, 
