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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4146, 4 July 1874, Page 6

SCIENCE. At the last meeting of the Otago Institute, Captain Hutton read a paper, entitled “Preliminary Remarks on some New Zealand Birds," by Otto Tinsel), Ph. D., of Bremen, Hon. Member of the New Zealand Institute, &o. Capt. Hutton having read Dr. Finseh’s paper, said he would draw particular attention to its very great importance. Ho considered it one of the most important contributions to New Zealand ornithology since the voyage of the Erebus and Terror. Captain Hutton mentioned a few cases of birds which lie considered were not placed in their proper families; but this paper of Dr. Fiusch was the first which gave a critical view of birds as regarded their specific character, and which, if it did not quite settle, very nearly settled, the position of a great many of them. In the smaller birds, lie had made a great mimber of alterations, and ho (Captain Hutton) thought there would be little doubt they would all turn out correct; and that was certainly doing more than any description of new species. This paper was merely the forerunner of a work by Dr. Finsch, to appear in a year or so, and which would contain a full account of New Zealand birds. The cost of this book would be about 10s. It would not be illustrated, but would contain full descriptions. The points now to be settled about our birds wore very few to what they were a few years ago.