WET-M Y-FOOT— WHA UP 1033 



{Froc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 431) to Ocydronius, and has certainly some 

 resemblance thereto (cf. Layard, Ibis, 1882, p. 535). Subsequently 

 placed by Gray in Eulabeornis (Brenchley, Cruise of the ' Curagoa,' 

 pi. xxi.), Dr. Sharpe has more recently proposed for it a distinct genus 

 Tricholimnas. Akin to Ocydromus must have been Diaphorapteryx, a 

 recently extinct form made known by Mr. H. 0. Forbes from one 

 of the Chatham Islands, where its bones were found in plenty. 

 He at first referred it to the Mauritian genus Aphanapteryx 

 (Extermination, p. 217), but subsequently {Nature, xlv. p. 416) 

 separated it therefrom, a course M^hich has been justified by Prof. 

 Milne-Edwards {Aim. Sc. Nat. ser. 8, ii. pp. 117-136, pis. xi.-xv.),^ 

 and Mr. Andrews (N'ovit. Zool. 1896, pp. 73-84, pi. iii.).^ There is 

 a curious analogy between the two forms, but the latter, which was 

 mentioned by Herbert, and is the Poule rouge of some of the old 

 writers, had a slender head, a long bill, and tall, thin legs, while the 

 head of Diaphorapteryx is large, and its bill and legs shorter and 

 stouter in comparison, so that the appearance of the two birds must 

 have been very unlike. 



The chief interest attaching to the Ocydromes is their inability 

 to use in flight the wings with which they are furnished, and hence 

 an extreme probability of the form becoming wholly extinct in a 

 short time.^ It is to be hoped that the naturalists of New Zealand 

 will not allow this to happen if any efi'ectual means can be taken to 

 perpetuate it ; but, should that fate be inevitable, it at least behoves 

 the present generation to see that every possible piece of information 

 concerning the birds be recorded, and every possible preparation 

 illustrating their structure be made, while yet there is time ; for, 

 though much has been written on the subject, it is obvious from 

 one of the latest papers {Trans. N. Z. Inst. x. p. 213) that there is 

 still more to be learned, some of which may throw further light on 

 the afiinities of the extinct genus Aptornis (pages 286, 592, note). 



WET-MY-FOOT, or -LIPS, names for the Quail (page 754), in 

 imitation of its call-note. 



WHALE -BIRD, a sailors' name for Petrels of the genus 

 Prion (pages 34, 742). 



WHAUP, formerly Quhaip, Dutch JVulp, the common name in 

 Scotland for the Long-billed Curlew, and there accounted "uncanny " 

 or a bird of ill-omen.* 



^ This memoir was read to the Zoological Congress at Leyden, Sept. 1895. 



^ I wholly concur in the general conclusions reached by this gentleman, based 

 as they are on those of Dr. Gadow {Thier-reich, Vogel, ii. p. 101). 



^ Of thi.s inability there are other instances among the Rallidx (see Moor-hen, 

 p. 590) ; but here we have coupled with it the curious fact that in the skeleton 

 the angle which the scapula makes with the coracoid is greater than a right angle, 

 a peculiarity shared only, so far as is known, among the Carinatas by the Dodo. 



* The call of the Whaup brings melancholy associations to many people, who. 



