^°'qoI^' ] M'Lean, The Fern-Bird of New Zealand. J 



wing to the thigh joint, and the other down the side of the 

 breast and abdomen to the vent. The spinal tract is broken 

 just above the lumbar patch, which is very extensive, and also 

 just below it. The humeral pteryla is well marked and 

 developed, while that of the femur is very slight. The tail of 

 the young bird is peculiar. In the nestling of fifteen days old 

 the ten tail feathers are nearly equal in length, and the barbs 

 are closely set, as in an ordinary bird's feather, but there are no 

 barbules to lock them. Also, the shaft of the tail feathers 

 (which is rounded at the end) extends about 2 millimetres 

 beyonci the vane, and is curved downwards. These feathers, 

 which are very stiff to the touch, are about .75 inch long. The 

 legs and feet are very well developed, and the young are very 

 active indeed, making good their escape whenever a chance 

 offers by scuttling out of one's hand and through the grass or 

 tussocks with great rapidity. The tail in a bird of about one 

 month old is about half the length of that of the adult, is still 

 closely barbed, but has lost the extended shaft, perhaps by 

 usage. I have not examined sufficient material to state the 

 changes of plumage of the adult. The iris is black in the adult, 

 and also in the young. 



Little is known of the breeding habits of the three remaining 

 members of the genus in New Zealand. 



^. fulvns (Gray; has the webs of the tail closely set. Mr. 

 Potts describes the eggs as larger than those of ^". punctatus, 

 white and marbled with reddish-purple freckles (see Duller, 

 " Birds of New Zealand," 2nd edition, vol. i., p. 61). 



vS. caudatus (Buller, Ibis, 1894, p. 523) is distinguishable from 

 S.fiilvus by its much larger size and much heavier bill. The 

 late Captain Hutton notes it as common on the Snares (see 

 Ogilvie-Grant, Ibis, 1905, p. 591). So far as I know, nothing is 

 known of its breeding habits, and the &^^ is undescribed. 



S. rufescens (Buller), the Chatham Island form, is distinguish- 

 able from the other members of the genus by its white throat. 

 Sir Walter Buller (" Birds of New Zealand," 2nd edition, vol. i., 

 p. 62) describes an &g^ from Pitt Island as broadly ovido- 

 conical, with the entire surface covered with a speckled or 

 marbled graining of reddish-brown on a creamy-white ground, 

 and measuring .80 by .65 inch. The firing of fern and swamp 

 and draining of marshes has, of course, lessened the area avail- 

 able for the Fern-Bird throughout the colony, and its ranks have 

 been considerably thinned ; but I think no further great reduc- 

 tion in its numbers need be feared for the present, except in 

 country which must ere long come into use for grazing and 

 agricultural purposes. There are many extensive swamps and 

 lagoons within the colony which are bound to stand untouched 

 by man, and, let us hope, remain a refuge for the Fern-Bird for 

 many years to come. 



