Mr. J. Gould on the Nest and Eggs of Menura Alberti. 141 



well as Kiwis, so that, on her return to England, I suppose there will 

 be plenty. 



I have had good accounts from the natives of a very large Kiwi 

 existing within their memory, but now supposed to be extinct on this 

 island ; it is represented as being at least four feet high. Perhaps 

 that may be still found on the other island. There are also names 

 for five or six other good-sized ground birds, such as large rails, &c., 

 lately existing here, but since the introduction of so many dogs and 

 cats, supposed to be extinct. One was shot the other day near the 

 town, of a species of which I had seen but one specimen previously ; 

 it may be Rallus assimilis, but I have not the skins to compare. 

 There is also, about thirty miles from here, a very pretty little duck 

 or teal, which is not described. These are the only novelties I have 

 seen since my return. I have had several Kiwis brought me, and 

 also a few eggs ; I had one for breakfast, which was very good and 

 quite enough for one. I sent one last year to the British Museum. 



I have made many inquiries about the extinct native rat, but there 

 are certainly none now to be obtained, though formerly they were so 

 numerous as to form a principal article in feasts, and were considered 

 a very great delicacy ; they lived on berries, &c., and were like lumps 

 of fat ; it is possible they were a kind of opossum rather than a rat. 

 The last were seen here about ten years ago ; but the cats and rats, of 

 which the woods are now full everywhere, have destroyed them all. 

 I think there are two kinds of native mice here ; one, a sort of shrew, 

 which my dog formerly often caught in the swamps, but which I have 

 not seen lately ; another, a little blackish one, found about fields and 

 gardens ; this one I have only seen since my return. The natives do 

 not know it, and confound it with the common house mouse, but I 

 do not think it can be an introduced species, as in that case it would 

 scarcely so quickly be found in thousands over so large a tract of 

 country as that in which it was observed last year (I have seen none 

 lately), but rather believe it to be an indigenous species, which from 

 some unknown cause appeared for a short time in astonishing num- 

 bers, and then as strangely disappeared. 



Insects are so very few, that they are really not worth the great 

 trouble of looking after. I have seen no new species since my return. 

 I know of only five or six butterflies. The largest land shell here is 

 a flat snail, about a quarter of an inch in diameter. 



March 8. — Dr. Gray, F.R.S., Vice-President, in the Chair. 



On the Nest and Eggs of Menura Alberti. 

 By John Gould, F.R.S. 



Mr. Gould exhibited a nest and two eggs oi Menura Alberti, which 

 had been obligingly lent to him for the purpose by Mr. Turner of 

 Sydney. The nest was oven-shaped in form ; outwardly constructed 

 of roots, tendrils and leaves of palms, and lined with green mosses. 

 It was about 2 feet in length by 16 inches in breadth, domed over 

 except at one end. The eggs, barely 2\ inches long by If broad, 



