XIV 
INTRODUCTION. 
that Nesonetta aucHandica belongs legitimately to our list; and that Antliochcera (rectius Acantho 
chcera) carunculata and Aptenodytes pennantii (=A. longirostris ), being of occasional occurrence,^ 
have now an undoubted claim to a place in our recognized Avifauna. 
I ought perhaps here to refer to a species mentioned in the former Introduction as a newly- 
discovered addition to the New-Zealand Avifauna, but now omitted from our list. It was introduced by 
me in the following terms “ In a country possessing such forms as Notornis and Porphyno we might 
naturally look for the occurrence also of Tribonyx. Both of the latter are known to have a wide 
geographic range, while Notornis, which is a strictly local form, appears to combine in some measure 
the characters of each, being allied to Porphyrio in the form of its bill and m its general colouring, 
and to Tribonyx in tbe structure of its feet ; while in the feebleness of its wings and the structure of 
its tail it differs from both. The recent discovery, therefore, in the South Island, of an example 
of Tribonyx mortieri which has been brought to England, and is now living in the Zoological Society’s 
Gardens, is a very interesting fact in geographic natural history. 
“The former acquisition by the Society of a similar bird, in July 1867, led to the discovery by 
Dr. Sclater that the species figured and described by Mr. Gould in his ‘ Birds of Australia under that 
name was not the true Tribonyx mortieri of Du Bus (Bull. Acad. Sc. Brux. vii. p. 214), but a distinct 
bird, characterized by its smaller size and by the absence of white stripes on the wing-coverts. 
Dr. Sclater accordingly proposed the name of Tribonyx gouldi for the latter species (Ann. N. II. 1867, 
xx. p. 122), and gave the following distinguishing characters for T. mortieri : ‘Major; alis albo 
striatis ; plaga magna hypochondriali alba.’ 
“ The bird now in the ‘ Gardens ’ was brought home (with other birds from New Zealand) by 
Mr. Richard Bills, and purchased by the Society on the 21st October, 1872. I am informed by the 
late owner that it was captured on the shores of Lake Waihora, in the Province of Otago, by a paity 
of men who hunted it down with dogs. When first brought to him at Dunedin it was very wild and 
shy ; but it soon became reconciled to confinement, and when he exhibited the bird to me in London 
it was perfectly tame and would feed from the hand ” *. 
Professor Hutton, having made the necessary inquiries on the spot, satisfied himself that the story 
was a pure invention, and that the dealer had purchased the bird in Dunedin, where it had doubtless 
been brought from Australia. 
After the appearance of my first edition Dr. Otto Finsch, who had previously written several 
papers on the subject, contributed to the ‘Journal fur Omithologie ’ (1874, p. 107) an admirable 
article entitled “ Zusatze und Berichtigungen zur Revision der Vogel Neuseelands,” which every 
student ought to consult. 
* “ Descr. ? . Crown and sides of the head, nape, hind neck, back, and rump brownish olive, washed more or less with 
chestnut; wing-coverts greyish olive, shading into brown, each feather with a white streak down the centre : throat, fore neck, 
breast, and sides of the body dark ashy grey, passing into slaty black on the abdomen and under tail-coverts, where the plumage 
is slightly tipped or freckled with grey; the overlapping feathers on the flanks pure white in their apical portion, forming a 
conspicuous mark on each side of the body ; under wing-coverts dull blackish brown, and all largely tipped with white; quills 
blackish brown, the secondaries brownish olive on their outer webs; tail-feathers black, the middle ones tinged with brown on 
their outer margins. Irides bright crimson, with a paler rim surrounding the pupil ; bill greenish yellow, lighter towards the 
tip ; legs and feet pale plumbeous tinged with yellow, the claws black. Total length 16-5 inches ; extent of wing 25 ; wing, 
from flexure, 8 ; tail 4-5 ; hill, along the ridge 1-5, along the edge of lower mandible 1-4 ; tarsus 2- 75 ; middle toe and claw 3'25 ; 
hind toe and claw IT.” 
