Birds of Govgh Island. 259 



two-thirds of the bill are deep coral-red, the distal third of 

 the bill bright yellow. The exposed portion of the tibia is 

 deep coral-red. Tarsus and toes bright yellow, the former 

 irregularly blotched with coral-red, while a narrow line of 

 the same colour runs along the sides of the latter. The 

 amount of yellow and red varies much in different specimens 

 and in some the red predominates. The iris is crimson. 

 The wing-measurement of the adults varies from 5*5 to 

 o"95 inches, in the young specimens it is 5 - 5 inches. 



In form and in the colour of its plumage this bird 

 very closely resembles our familiar Waterhen {Galium la 

 chloropus). The bill and frontal shield are larger and the 

 feet more robust. 



Regardiug the habits of this bird, which he calls the 

 " Mountain Cock/' Mr. Comer (Verrill, t. c. pp. 434-435) 

 states that they " cannot fly and only use their wings to help 

 them in running. . . . They are quite plentiful and can be 

 caught by hand. . . . The bushes grow on the island up to 

 about 2000 feet, and these birds are found as far as the bushes 

 grow. I do not know how many eggs they lay. . . . When 

 alarmed, their note is a shrill whistle. They eat the eggs of 

 other birds and also follow the tide down to feed on small 

 animals left by the receding waves, but are careful never to go 

 into salt water .... but are very fond of getting into fresh 

 water and splashing it over them. . . . They run swiftly when 

 pursued, helping themselves with their wings, and endeavour 

 to get under a tussock, or some such place, to hide. . . . 

 They have a very peculiar habit of always hopping over every 

 obstacle, such as a branch or dead stick, instead of going 

 under it as might be expected." 



This species differs from P. nesiotis, of Tristan da Cunha, 

 in having scarcely any white on the outer edge of the first 

 primary and in the narrower and smaller streaks of white 

 on the flanks. 



4. Sterna vittata Gmelin. 



There are five specimens of this Tern in the collection. 

 One of these is an adult, and the rest are in the pretty first 



