214 
barred with white. Bill bluish black ; base of lower mandible horn-colour; cere pale yellow ; legs brighter 
yellow; claws black; irides brownish yellow, becoming purer yellow with advancing maturity. Extreme 
length 19 inches ; extent of wings 31 ; wing, from flexure, 11 '25 ; tail 8'25 ; culmen 1-2 ; tarsus 2'5 ; middle 
toe and claw 2 - 75 ; hind toe and claw 1'75. 
Adult female. The plumage is similar to that of the male, excepting, perhaps, that the spotted markings on the 
sides are more distinct ; but there is a slight difference in the size. Extreme length 19-5 ; wing, from 
flexure, 11'5; tail 8 - 5 ; tarsus 2'75. 
Young. Crown of the head and upper parts generally brownish black, glossed with grey in certain lights ; line 
over each eye reddish fulvous; throat fulvous white, with a central line of brown on each feather; sides of 
the neck, breast, lining of wings, and underparts generally dark brown varied with fulvous ; sides marked 
with rounded spots of fulvous white, very obscure in some specimens ; tibial plumes reddish brown ; lower 
part of abdomen, vent, and inner side of thighs fulvous; under surface of quills and tail-feathers dusky, 
with numerous transverse bars of white. Cere and bare space around the eyes bluish white ; irides black ; 
legs dark grey, with black claws. 
Nestling. Covered with plumbeous -grey down. 
Obs. The above measurements were taken from a pair of birds of this species formerly in the Christchurch 
Acclimatization Gardens, and now preserved in the Canterbury Museum, the sex m both cases having been 
carefully ascertained by dissection. The figure of the adult female is from a fine specimen obtained in the 
South Island, and now in my collection. Examples vary in the details of their colouring. In some the 
light spots on the sides are far more conspicuous and the tibial plumes are of a brighter rufous than in others. 
As a rule, the white bars on the tail-feathers, although interrupted in the middle, are conterminous on each 
side of the shaft. In a specimen, however, obtained by Mr. Travers in the South Island the bars are 
alternate on each web, as was also the case with another, shown to me at Ohinitahi ; but this character is 
quite exceptional. 
The synonymy given above will serve as a tolerably complete guide to the scientific and literary 
history of the present species ; but much confusion has arisen at various periods with regard to 
the nomenclature employed, and a few words in further explanation of the subject appear to be 
necessary. 
In Mr. G. It. Gray’s ‘List of the Birds of New Zealand,’ published as an Appendix to Dieffen- 
bach’s ‘Travels’ (1843), that naturalist recognizes only two species of Accipitres, which he calls 
respectively Falco harpe, Forst., and Falco brunneus, Gould, thereby intending, of course, to indicate 
the existence of two distinct species of true Falcons in New Zealand ; but in this list there is no 
mention whatever of the Harrier ( Circus gouldi), a common and well-known bird in our country. 
In adding the native names an unfortunate mistake occurred ; for Falco harpe was stated to be the 
bird known to the inhabitants as “ Kahu ” and “ Kahu-papango,” whereas these are m reality the 
native appellations for the Harrier, which, as already stated, had been omitted from the list. This 
will, no doubt, account for the mention of Gould’s Harrier, in the earlier writings of Layard, Haast, 
and Taylor, under the erroneous title of Falco harpe. Mr. Gray himself afterwards, in his ‘ Birds of 
New Zealand ’ (Voy. Ereb. and Terror), partially rectified this error by introducing the Circus m its 
proper place ; but the misapplication of the native names was continued. In that work Mr. Gray 
substituted the prior title of Falco novoe zealandice , Gmel., for F. harpe , Forst., with F. australis 
(Homb. et Jacq.) correctly added as a synonym ; he likewise reduced Gould’s F. brunneus to the 
rank of a synonym ; but in a subsequent list (Ibis, 1862, p. 214) he recognized it again as a distinct 
species, and equivalent to F. ferox of Peale (U. S. Explor. Exped. 1848), referring both forms to 
Kaup’s genus Hieracidea. Unfortunately Mr. Gould’s description of 11. brunnea was founded on an 
