14 



niibus ; under tail-coverts pale rufous, banded transversely 

 witli black. 



Length, 1 foot 5j inches ; bill from gape, 2 inches ; 

 wings, 9 inches ; tarsi, 2 inches. 



" Habitat in Novaj Zeelandiaj insula auslrali, imprimis 

 in Portu Obscuro numerosissimse, per omnia littora maris 

 disperse, imo in minimis insulis a nobis sunt inventae, et 

 quod mirura alas habent brevissimas nee uuquam volare 

 tentant, neque ob pedes fissos natare queunt, adeo ut diffi- 

 cile sit dictu qua ratione in omnes pervenerint insulas. In 

 cavitatibus sub arborum radicibus degunt, et aestu rece- 

 donte ad littora maris excurrunt, cancellos et varios vermes 

 lectura;, celemme cursitant, gallinarum more ruspantur 

 humum et in quisquiliis victura qucrunt, noctu et tempore 

 pluvio uiisere clamant. Caro earum sapidissima, praeser- 

 tim cute detracta." Forster. 



These birds, which bear the name of Weka, observes Mr. 

 P. Earl, are found in both islands; they are usually seen in 

 what is called open country, i. e. in long grass or thickets 

 of low bushes, where they can easily spring on small birds 

 perched near the ground. Mr. Earl brought one of the 

 South Island birds home alive ; a small living bird was the 

 greatest treat he could give him : they also feed upon ber- 

 ries. In the twilight or moonlight is the best time to find 

 them. The brood generally consists of three to five young 

 ones, which follow the parent initil nearly full grown : at 

 half growth they are of a light sandy colour. It is known 

 to the settlers by the name of Wood Hen. 



OCYDROMUS DiEFFENBACHII. 



Plate 15. 



Rallus Dieffenbachii, G. R. Gray, Diejf. Trav. N. Z. 

 App. p. 197. 



Back olive brown, in-egularly banded with bufi" and 

 black ; the breast and lower posterior part of the neck and 

 breast rufous yellow banded transversely with black; quills, 

 secondaries and under tail-coverts deep rufous, banded 

 with black ; lower part of the breast, abdomen, sides and 

 juguluui black, banded with white; top and hind part of 

 head, cheeks and a streak below the eye, olive-brown, the 

 two last tinged with rufous ; a band from the nostrils to 

 the middle above the eye, white ; the continuation of this 

 band behind the eye and throat grey, but white beneath 

 the bill ; tail dark brown, with longitudinal streaks of deep 

 rufous near the base. 



Length, 121- inches ; bill from gape, l^- inch ; wings 5 

 inches ; tarsi, I j inch. 



The specimen was obtained by Dr. Diefienbach at Chat- 

 ham Island, where it is known by the name of Moeriki. 



Rallus assimilis. 



Rallus assimilis, G. R. Gray, Dleff. Trav. N. Z. App. 

 p. 197. 



Blackish brown, each feather broadly margined with 

 brownish olive ; feathers of the nape and wings spotted 

 with white surrounded with black ; quills brownish black, 

 banded with rufous ; eyebrows, cheeks and neck before, 

 grey ; throat white ; breast and sides of body black and 

 white banded ; abdomen and under tail-coverts buffy 



white; breast with a transverse irregular band of buff; a 

 band from the base of upper mandible passing through the 

 eyes, down the neck, and extending round the nape, brown 

 varied with rufous. 



Length, 12^ inches; bill from gape, If inches ; wings, 

 5 inches 4 lines ; tarsi, Ig^ inch. 



The pectoral buff band on the breast, and the rufous co- 

 lour of the cheeks and on the sides of the neck, are much 

 less prominent than on the Australian specimens, other- 

 wise these birds are very similar. 



Dr. Dieffenbach says, this is the Konini of the natives 

 of Cook's Straits ; but in some parts of New Zealand it is 

 called Katatai. 



Ortygometka affinis. 



Back and tail black, varied with spots of white ; top of 

 head, sides and back of neck, wing-coverts and tertials 

 black, greatly margined with rufous brown ; quills and se- 

 condaries brownish black ; .sides of head, throat and breast 

 grej', feathers of the two latter margined with pale rufous 

 brown ; abdomen and under tail-coverts black, narrowly 

 fasciated with white. 



Length, 7j inches; bill from gape, 9 lines ; wings, Sj 

 inches ; tarsi, 13 lines. 



This species is most like R. paliistris of Mr. Gould, but 

 it has not any white spots on the primaries, and the bill 

 appears to be rather longer. 



The specimen was brought by Mr. P. Earl, who states 

 that it was shot on the banks of Nanganui Rivei", in the 

 North Island. 



Oetygometra tabuensis. 



Rallus minutus, Forst. Desc. Anim. p. 178. Icon. hied. 

 1.30. 



Tabuan Rail, Lnlh. Si/». v. 23.5. 



Rallus tabuensis, Gmel. Si/st. i. 717. 



Crex plumbea. Gray, Griff. An. Kingd. iii. 400. 



Plumbeous ; the back and wings purplish black ; under 

 tail-coverts plumbeous, banded with white. 



Length, 6^ inches ; bill from gape, 9 lines ; wings, 3 

 inches 2 lines; tarsi, 13 lines. 



The natives of Otago, South Island, informed Mr. P. 

 Earl, that this was very rare, and that but a few of them 

 knew the name, which is Mehotatai. It frequents the 

 swamps or the sides of small water-runs. 



Subfamily, GalUnulhxB. 



PORPHYRIO MELANOTUS. 



Porphyrio melanotus, Temm. Man. d'' Orn. ii. 701. 



Fulica alba, Lath. White's Journ. t. 138 (albino variety). 



Head, back and wings deep shining black ; neck, breast 

 and outer margins of wings indigo blue ; abdomen sooty 

 black ; under tail-coverts pure white. 



Length, 1 foot 5 inches ; bill from gape, 1 inch 7 lines ; 

 wings, 10 inches ; tarsi, 3 inches 8 lines. 



The head of the female or young is blackish grey. 



This bird is the Pukeko of the natives, according to Mr. 

 Yate, while at Mataineka, South Island, says Mr. P. Earl, 

 it is named Pakura. In the summer months these birds 



