258 Mr. "W. Eagle Clarke on the 



other peculiarities alluded to wherein N. jessice differs from 

 N. goughensis, led me to depart from my first impressions 

 regarding the relationship of these forms to each other and 

 to consider them distinct species. I may have been mistaken 

 in so doing, but I think it best to leave it an open question 

 — one to be decided by further investigations based upon a 

 more complete set of specimens. 



Judging from Mr. Comer's rough descriptions of the 

 Passerines, he does not seem to have observed this form, and 

 yet he remained on the island down to the very end of 

 summer, when young birds must have been in evidence. We 

 must remember, however, that his observations were not 

 published till some six years after he had left Gough Island, 

 and therefore much that he has told us may have probably 

 been from memory. 



3. Porphyriorxis comeri Allen. 



The flightless Gallinule peculiar to this island was 

 abundant in the dense undergrowth along the sides of 

 the stream. Among this it endeavoured to hide, but its 

 brilliantly coloured bill and feet easily betrayed it. The 

 specimens captured were secured whilst running amongst 

 this thick mass of vegetation. One ran into a burrow in 

 its endeavours to escape, and it is probable that others 

 resorted to similar tactics. 



Five specimens were secured, one of which is an immature 

 bird, though full-grown so far as size is concerned. In this 

 undescribed phase the bill and the frontal shield, which is 

 small, are dull olive-green, and the tarsus and toes dull 

 oil-green. It also varies in plumage from the adult, having 

 the upper surface a warm vandyke-brown, a little darker on 

 the head and primaries ; the under surface strongly washed 

 with sepia-brown; the flanks brown, two or three of the 

 feathers on each side having short inconspicuous cinuamon 

 stripes ; the outer margin of the first primary cinnamon-buff; 

 the edge of the wing streaked with greyish white; the 

 feathers of the lower part of the abdomen edged with greyish 

 white. 



In the adult specimens the frontal shield and the basal 



