179 NATURAL HISTORY NOTES IN NEW ZEALAND. 
I am familiar with the two former, but the difference would not 
suggest itself to me. Of the South Island Weka I have many 
pleasant recollections. In size it is equal to a small barn-door fowl. 
Its plumage partakes of the general markings of the rail, and it is 
frequently more or less ragged owing to its pugnacious habits. Hav- 
ing lost the power of flight, the wood-hen wanders in a solitary 
manner within a limited area, never more than two being seen 
within that area. When camping in the bush, or upon the beach, 
one or two of these birds would stealthily watch from the nearest 
cover, and would greedily seize any small pieces of food or sweet- 
meats thrown to them. Moreover, if close watch were not kept, the 
weka would furtively raid the camp and carry off anything bright 
and not too heavy, such asa teaspoon. The night cry of the weka 
is harsh but not unpleasant at a distance. I regret to say that the 
weka is all but extinct in the settled districts, a victim to nothing 
but stoats and weasels. 
Another rail, the RALLUS PHILLIPENSIS (or striped rail) is exceed- 
ingly scarce. I was fortunate enough to take a specimen on the 
Waitohi Creek. Doubtful of its identity I sent it to Sir James 
Hector who termed it R. pecrorauis. Not finding this in Buller’s 
original work I still preferred to call it R. PHILLIPENSIS. 
In kindly reading through these proofs, Mr. Storer suggested 
that I had probably been the first to find what was essentially an 
Australian form of rail. I wrote therefore to the great authority, 
Sir Walter Buller himself, and received a most courteous reply. He 
said that the striped rail was originally known by the term 
“PECTORALIS,” but later—to distinguish it from the Australian rail 
—it had been called ‘‘pHinurpensis.” They are, therefore, two 
distinct species. 
The only other rail with which I am familiar is the swamp hen 
or pukeko (PoRPHYRIO MELANOTUS), a magnificent bird, still fairly 
common, thanks to protective native game laws. In size it is about 
