Ornithology of New Zealand. 1 1 7 



Glaucopis cinerea. 



Captain Hutton and Mr. Travers are quite right about the 

 peculiar feeding-habit of this bird. I frequently observed it 

 in my captive specimen of G. wilsoni, but somehow omitted 

 to record it. I have noticed this habit in Porphyria melanotus 

 (B. of N. Z. p. 186). 



CaRPOPHAGA NOViE-ZEALANDIjE. 



My description of the egg of this species was taken from 

 one obtained by me in the Upper Manawatu many years ago. 

 The specimen came into my hands very much broken ; and as 

 my measurements were consequently uncertain, I adopted 

 those given by Captain Hutton as from a perfect specimen, 

 never supposing that he could mistake the egg of a Petrel for 

 that of a Pigeon ! The addition "sometimes marked with ob- 

 scure purplish spots " was on the same unfortunate authority ; 

 for my specimen had no spots whatever, and the natives had 

 always described the egg to me as being perfectly white. 



OCYDROMUS EARLI. 



Captain Hutton expresses some astonishment that I did 

 not preserve Dr. Hewson's specimen of the hybrid Wood-hen, 

 or ascertain what it developed into. The bird was promised 

 to me, but unfortunately was shortly afterwards consigned to 

 the pot; and this put an end both to the specimen and its 

 "development." Captain Hutton quotes me incorrectly in 

 stating that I carefully examined several supposed hybrids. 



OcYDROMUS AUSTRALIS. 



Dr. Finsch is probably right in distinguishing a second 

 species (O. troglodytes). I have myself stated (B. of N. Z. 

 p. 171) that " examples from different localities exhibit so 

 much variety in size and plumage as to suggest the existence 

 of another, closely allied species." 



Rallus dieffenbachii. 



In my letter which appeared in the last number of ' The 

 Ibis,' I stated that Captain Hutton was entirely wrong in as- 

 suming that Rallus dieffenbachii and R. philippensis are the 

 same, or very nearly allied species (Ibis, 1873, p. 350). The 



SER. III. VOL. IV. K 



