INTRODUCTION. 
MUS. COMP. 208L 
LIBM8Y 
mnn 
MST.iKlTY 
Since the publication of the Supplement of Buller’s Birds in 1905 there has 
been no full list of the birds that have been found in New Zealand issued. 
It is thought that a printed list of the scientific and common names, following 
the classification used in the British Museum, would be useful for many 
purposes. 
In the Supplement Sir Walter Buller says, “ I have taken this oppor¬ 
tunity of reclassifying the avifauna of Now Zealand according to the most 
modern system of arrangement — namely, that adopted by Dr. Bowdler 
Sharpe in his recently published ‘ Hand-list of Birds ’ * ; so that, although in 
the nature of a * Supplement ’ forming, as it were, a necessary acquisition 
for those who possess my former work, the present publication is virtually 
complete in itself, embracing all the known species. 
“ I am aware that Dr. Sharpe’s system, which reverses the old sequence 
and commences with the lowest instead of the highest forms, has challenged 
much criticism ; but the fact remains that it has been adopted by the 
trustees of our National Collection as the best that can be devised, whilst 
it seems to have met with general acceptance on the Continent. All systems 
are confessedly artificial, and they must in a sense be provisional, whilst our 
knowledge of the science is advancing towards perfection ; but, for my own 
part, I attach so much importance to securing uniformity that, in my opinion, 
this is enough to outweigh all other considerations. It is to be hoped that 
we have now reached something like finality in the nomenclature of the birds 
of Now Zealand, which has undergone many violent changes since the publi¬ 
cation of my first edition in 1873. In the placing of the genera and of the 
species, as far as possible, the sequence followed is that of the ' Hand-list.’ ” 
I agree with the late Sir Walter Buller that it is advisable to adopt this 
classification, and I think it desirable, therefore, to issue this list showing the 
order in which the birds should now be arranged which inhabit New Zealand, 
and have been recorded as occasional visitors. The works that have been 
issued by Sir Walter Buller are expensive and not likely to be in the hands 
of many persons, and the Manual of New Zealand Birds issued in 1882 has 
long been out of print. We have, however, a very useful work by Hutton 
and Drummond which gives short descriptions of most of the species arranged 
in the more familiar order, and much information as to the habits, locality, 
&c. In the group of petrels a very fine monograph by Salvin has just been 
issued, giving plates of every species. Some slight modifications of the 
specific name in Buller’s Supplement have had to be made owing to recent 
investigations. The detailed references to the British Museum Catalogue 
are given in the Index Faunro Novae Zealandiae. 
Some indication of the available plates in Buller’s works and in Salvin’s 
Monograph on the Petrels is given after the specific name. 
B. 1 — Buller, 1st Edition, 1873. 
B. 2 — Buller, 2nd Edition, 1888. 
B.S. — Buller, Supplement, 1905. 
S. — Salvin’s Monograph of the Petrels, 1909. 
M. — Buller’s Manual of New Zealand Birds, 1882. 
A. HAMILTON, Director. 
* “ Hand-list of the Genera and Species of Birds,” 5 vols., 1899-1905. 
