Transcribe Buller, Walter Lawry, Sir. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1881-04-30)

Wellington – New Zealand April 30/81 Dear Professor Ward,

      I just missed  you in

[?] – I hope you had a pleasant & profitable trip to [?] [?] –

      Prof. Parker showed me

the Bird – skins he had disposed off to you from the [?] stores – There was one skin among them of no intrinsic value but bearing handwriting' (the So. Island Woodhen) –

      I have been contending that

this so - called species has no real existence, the gradations of plumage being very complete in the series which I have. I should be glad to have in my possession the skin of "O. Finschi" as identified [by?] [Hulton?]. this being more satisfactory than dealing with his published description