218 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



The last mentioned is a very rare bird in New South Wales, 

 and I only know, at present, of one instance, brought under my 

 notice by our President, W. Macleay, Esq., of its having been 

 offered for sale in Sydney. In Melbourne, however, it is 

 sometimes met with in the markets. The White-headed Stilt 

 Plovers are more often seen here, and sometimes the Avocets, 

 both of which have been obtained from the Illawarra districts. 

 I believe the Banded Stilts aforementioned had been sent 

 up from Melbourne. None of these, excepting the Spur-wing 

 and Black-breasted Plover, are at all palatable, and it seems 

 a pity that such fine birds should be slain, but I suppose 

 purchasers are found for them, otherwise they would not be sent 

 for sale. There is no accounting for tastes ! 



The Golden Plover, Chamdrius longipes, occasionally visits New 

 South Wales in the winter time in large flocks ; they are 

 frequently so very fat and oily that it is with great difficulty 

 decent looking skins can be made of them, even by expert 

 taxidermists ; at this time of the year they are only fit for the 

 table, and numbers of them find their way there every year. We 

 next come to the Land Rails and Water Hens : the Land Rail, 

 Rallus or Hypotceidia philippensis, is by far the most delicate 

 flavoured ; they arrive here in considerable numbers during August 

 and September, remaining to breed among the long grass and 

 bushes in swampy places, all over the country, and are not unfre- 

 quently found nesting in the wheat fields and lucerne paddocks. 

 This species is found all over the continent of Australia, and also 

 in the Fiji and South Sea Islands. The Long-billed Rail, or 

 Lewin's Rail, Rallus bracltypus, Swain, is by no means rare in 

 some of the swamps about Sydney, but is seldom found in the 

 market ; like the preceding, it is a very delicate-flavoured bird. 

 The Red Bill, or Porphyrio {P. melanotus), and the Water Hen, 

 Gallinula tenehrosa, are more often seen, and lately, numbers of 

 Coot (Fulica Australis), have been forwarded from Melbourne. 

 Quail are seldom seen offered for sale, but occasionally they 

 may be obtained. The species found about Sydney are Turnix 

 varius, the Forest Quail, and the Swamp Quail, Synoicus 



