from New Zealand and adjacent Islands. 5 17 



"As a rule, one finds Roas in pairs in the same den, and 

 they are sometimes accompanied by the last year's young 

 bird, which, is nearly as big as themselves, but much darker 

 in colour. 



" When single birds are found they are always females if 

 full-grown, and it would seem that the females are more 

 numerous than the males. This was very noticeable in 

 Dusky Sound, where males were always in demand to 

 make up pairs. 



" Their habits are curious : the males always stay at home 

 to ' nurse the baby/ and do it well ; while the females, which 

 arc both larger and more courageous, as well as more nume- 

 rous, do most of the courting and fighting. 



"The beak of the female is about 6 inches long and has 

 the curve near the point, while that of the male is at least 

 an inch shorter and has the curve near the middle. 



" The habits and manners of the Kiwi (Apteryx oiveni) 

 are much like those of the Roas, but instead of frequenting 

 the shady forests they live mostly in rocky and scrubby 

 places. 5 '' 



2. Hyi'ot.exidia philippinensis (Linn.). 



Hypotaenidia philippinensis Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. 

 xxiii. p. 39 (1894). 



a. Adult. ? South Island, New Zealand. 



This Rail was sent home in a jar containing Shags from 

 Bounty Island ; the locality whence it was obtained was not 

 indicated, but was probably South Island. 



Like H. macquariensis Hutton, it has a patch of maroon 

 feathers on the chest above the middle of the rust-coloured 

 pectoral band, but in other respects it resembles typical 

 H. philippinensis. 



3. Porzana affinis (Gray). 



Porzana affinis Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 106 

 (1894). 



a. <$ adult. N. Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand, 

 23rd August, 1893. 



