^"lo2^^'] ^Fathkws. Naitiye of Nctv Zealand Avifanva. 215 



from the same form as tlic Common Ringed Plover of Europe, 

 wiiich is represented in Australia by the Iloodcd Dottrel, and 

 which has not generically changed, while the generic distinction 

 of the New Zealand bird has been unchallenged for nearly eighty 

 years. In Austraha we have Stone-Plovers, Painted Snipe, a 

 peculiar generic type of Stilt, four pecuhar Wattled Plovers, 

 Jacanas, Pratincoles, and Coursers (to say nothing of such 

 delights as Bustards and Cranes), all of which are missing from 

 New Zealand. We again get recompense when we come to the 

 Rails, as once more we are upon historic ground, Australia being 

 unable to counter the Wood-Hens and Takahe with anything 

 better than Tribonyx. Notwithstanding the incitation to 

 exaggerate the wonders of these Rails, we can scientifically do 

 nothing except depreciate them. Judging the series seriously, 

 we are compelled to reahze that they are simply degradational 

 products through lack of energetic stresses allowing disuse of 

 means of flight. Moreover, we can see the progress of the stages 

 hving in other generic types, as from the Auckland Islands has 

 been described a Ralliis miielleri which is a semi-flightless but 

 otherwise little differentiated species, while Hypotcenidia -philippensis, 

 Zapornia piisilla, and Porzanoidea plumhea are represented by 

 sub-species, the most noticeable differential feature being the 

 prominence of the secondaries at the expense of the primaries. 

 At the Chatham Islands two well-marked generic types were 

 found, whose origin could be recognized from a study of super- 

 ficial characters, and which accurate estimation was confirmed by 

 study of the osteological remains. These are Cabalus modestus 

 and Nesolimnas dieffenhachii, the ancestry of the former being a 

 species of Ralliis alliance, while the latter's predecessors belonged 

 to the HypotcBuidia branch. Gallirallus, the Wood-Hens or 

 Wekas, have, however, become so large through flightlessness, 

 and their ancestors apparently also become extinct, so that their 

 origin is at present obscure. It has never been emphasized 

 sufficiently that flightlessness is accompanied (with scarcely an 

 exception) with increase in bulk ; this is easily seen in connection 

 with the Takahe and Kakapo. Thus the forerunners of the 

 Wekas must have been small Rails, and the increase, possibly 

 within comparatively recent times in the case of the Takahe, is 

 noteworthy. Thus the Takahe is only a flightless Gallimde, and 

 we can suggest two colonizations of New Zealand by the same 

 kind of bird. Thus, at an early date, a Porphyrio-Wke bird must 

 have reached New Zealand, and, finding no enemies, degenerated 

 into a large flightless bird, well known as the Notornis. Probably 

 man, in the guise of the Maori, was the unexpected new enemy, 

 and the Notornis, having lost its means of escape, soon suffered 

 extinction. In the wildness of the South Island it lingered 

 longer, still developing new useless features, and, as M antellornis 

 hochstetteri , may stiU exist. It is even possible that its own 

 relation, Porphyrio melanotus, assisted in its extermination by 

 its arrival at a later date with more energy and capabilities as to 



