22 
Hutton’s examination of the types ” had “ shown C. cinereus to be undoubtedly the young of the 
above-named species.” In my reply (l. c. vol. vi. p. 116) I explained that an examination by myself of 
a fine series of specimens in the Canterbury Museum *, showing what appeared to be transitional 
changes of plumage, had forced me to this conclusion, and that I had communicated the result to 
Captain Hutton long before the appearance of his ‘ Catalogue.’ I was careful, nevertheless, to add 
the following qualifying passage: — “I confess, however, that the subject is still beset with some 
difficulty in my own mind. Supposing the plumage of C. cinereus to be the first year’s dress of 
C. carunculcitus , it seems to me quite inexplicable that the bird has never been met with in that 
state in the North Island. Captain Hutton suggests that this is due to the comparative scarcity of 
the species at the North. But during several years’ residence in the province of Wellington I 
obtained probably upwards of fifty specimens, at various times, without ever detecting any sign of 
this immature condition of plumage. Admitting the comparative scarcity of the species, one would 
naturally suppose that the younger birds would be more likely to fall into the collector’s hands than 
the fully adult ones. It maybe suggested whether the condition of the Canterbury-Museum specimens 
has not possibly resulted from intercrossing ; for we have not heard of any further examples of the 
kind being obtained. At any rate, till a specimen in the supposed immature dress has actually been 
taken in the North Island, the point cannot, I think, be considered finally set at rest.” 
The descriptive notes which I had made will be found at page 149 of my former edition, with a 
statement of the conclusion arrived at. But I then added : — “ Mr. Buchanan has observed the so-called 
C. cinereus in Otago in the summer, and Captain Hutton saw four birds in this plumage near 
Collingwood in the month of August; while, in the North Island, I have obtained fully-coloured 
specimens of C. carunculatus all the year round. It is sufficiently obvious, therefore, that the former 
cannot be a seasonal state of plumage.” 
Strange to say, after a lapse of nearly fifteen years, the required evidence is forthcoming, and 
my Creadion cinereus recovers the specific rank so long denied to it. 
In 1881 Mr. A. Reischek, a very careful observer, wrote to me as follows : — “ About Creadion 
cinereus I have this to state: In December 1877, when I was on the west coast of the South Island, 
I shot about twenty of both kinds and of both sexes. What were supposed to be the young of 
C. carunculatus (your Creadion cinereus) I found on dissection to be fully adult birds, both male and 
female. My observations on this point were perfectly reliable. In December 1880 I stayed on the 
Hen (an island in the Hauraki Gulf) three weeks, and shot about thirty specimens of Creadion 
carunculatus, all of them being in the common saddle-back plumage. I could only determine the 
sex in each case by dissection, and what appeared to be the young birds differed only from the adult 
in having the wattles smaller and lighter in colour. I roamed over the whole island during my stay 
there, and never saw a bird in the plumage of your Creadion cinereus.” 
In 1882, and again in the early part of 1884, this naturalist re-visited the Hen, and on both 
occasions remained there a considerable time exploring every part of the island and collecting its 
productions. During his last visit he saw probably forty or more birds, all in the plumage of 
C. carunculatus , and collected many specimens of both sexes and all ages. On the Little Barrier he 
found the species scarce, and obtained only two specimens ; while on the Chickens and Island of 
Kawau he did not meet with the bird at all. In some which he dissected the testes were almost 
microscopic, the only external differences between these and the old birds being that the plumage 
* This series consists of four birds, all obtained in one locality : — No. 1 is in the plumage of Creadion cinereus, as described 
above: No. 2 presents a few black touches on the head and neck : No. 3 has some new black feathers between the crura of the 
lower mandible, also on the sides of the head and along the edges of the wings ; the upper wing-coverts bright ferruginous • the 
half-grown new secondaries and tail-feathers perfectly black, the back and rump presenting indications of change : No. 4 is in 
the plumage of C. carunculatus, as described at page 18. 
