74 Transactions. — Zoology. 



Sterna nereis, Gould. (The Little "White Tern.) 



It is not often that this species leaves the sea-coast ; but 

 on a recent occasion I observed a pair of them fishing in fresh 

 water on the Papaitonga Lake, several miles from the sea. 

 They were dipping into the water, with a tiny splash, at rapid 

 intervals, and, as there can be no whitebait at this season 

 (December), I much fear that they were regaling themselves 

 on the fry of Loch Leven trout, of which I lately placed six 

 thousand in the lake. 



Ocydromus australis, Sparrm. (The South Island Wood- 

 hen.) 



In spite of its feebleness of wing, this species continues to 

 hold its own in man y districts of the South Island. It is very 

 prolific, and breeds freely in confinement. Mr. W. W. Smith, of 

 Ashburton, sent me a fine series of eggs which had been laid 

 by birds in captivity. In the letter accompanying them he 

 says, " I have one pair of these birds that has reared two 

 broods, and has a third three weeks old. I took the young 

 away much earlier than the parents would have left them, 

 which made them lay much sooner. I have another bird 

 which has laid sixteen eggs. My efforts to procure a hybrid 

 between the Game-cock and Weka have not so far been suc- 

 cessful, but I shall persevere with my experiments, and may 

 ultimately succeed." 



I learn from Sir George Grey that those which he brought 

 from the South Island and turned loose on Kawau in 1863 

 increased rapidly, and soon stocked that island. 



Ocydromus greyi, Buller. (The North Island Woodhen.) 



I received on the 6th January from Captain Mair two 

 newly-hatched chicks of this species, obtained on the banks 

 of the Manawatu River. They were thickly covered with 

 silky down of a uniform brownish-black colour. 



Ocydromus earli, Gray. (The Brown Woodhen.) 



I have received a fine series of specimens from the valley 

 of the Heaphy, where this Woodhen appears to be the common 

 species. As stated in my account of the species ("Birds of 

 New Zealand," vol. i., p. 115), Reischek met with it on 

 Mount Alexander and afterwards on Cooper's Island, as well 

 as on the mainland opposite, so that the range of the bird 

 appears to extend all the way down the coast. 



Ocydromus fuscus, Uubus. (The Black Woodhen.) 



I have lately obtained a living pair from the West Coast 

 sounds. Like the other species, they are almost omnivorous, 

 and large feeders, and I have noticed that they have a great 



