:-^42 Transactions. — Zoology. 



as in some other oceanic birds." This view may be the right 

 one, or it may not ; and it seems to me unfortunate that, with 

 such excellent opportunities for studying the subject, Mr. 

 Lleischek did not place that matter beyond all doubt. 



As to its requiring five years for the albatros to attain the 

 mature white livery, this must of necessity be only conjecture. 

 In my account of the bird I have described no less than ten 

 phases of plumage in its progi-ess towards maturity. That it 

 takes a considerable time — probably several years — to develope 

 the fully-adult plumage is perfectly clear, but it is manifestly 

 impossible to fix the annual changes of plumage without 

 liaving the birds constanth' under observation. 



Aht. XLII. — On the Assumed Hyhridity beticeen tJte Covimon 

 Foivl and the Woodhen (Ocydromus). 



By James Murie, M.D., LL.D., F.L.S. 



Communicated by Sir Walter Buller, K.C.M.G., F.E.S. 



[Bead before the Wellincjton rhtlosophical Society, 19th Fehruarij, 1890.] 



Plates XXI.-XXIV. 



SiKCE the publication of Darwin's classical works, " The 

 Origin of Species," and " Variation of Animals and Plants 

 under Domestication," the subject of hybridity, or hybridism, 

 has been rendered highly attractive, and instructive to a re- 

 iuarkable degree. One sequel of his writings has been to 

 foster the spirit of observation and inquiry regarding individual 

 bodily variations or peculiarities of habit, however slight or 

 merely of passing occurrence they might seem to be at first 

 sight. 



The special interest attached to the supposed hybrid about 

 to be reported on is one of negation rather than support. But 

 a register of the data nevertheless shows certain side-lights, 

 which may be of use hereafter when similar inquiries as to 

 mixed parentage are undertaken. 



Before proceeding to inquire into the evidence to be derived 

 from the anatomy of the attributed cross-bred fowl more nn- 

 mediately the subject of this paper, I shall shadow forth in a 

 cursory manner what hitherto has been asserted in support of 

 the interbreeding of the weka and the fowl. In the first 

 edition of "The Birds of New Zealand," 1872, p. 165, the 

 author, in referring to the North Island woodhen {Ocydromus 

 earli), drew attention to a reputed hybrid with the fowl seen 



