THE TAKAHE 



193 



A glamour of romance has been shed round Notomis hoch- 

 stetteri, on account of its strange and isolated position. When 

 fossil remains of the genus were first brought to light in New 

 Zealand, naturalists thought that all the representatives here had 



Takahe. 



passed away with the extinct moa, eagle, and swan. Two years 

 afterwards, however, a live specimen was found, and it was then 

 known that the name Notornis could 1)e added to the list of notable 

 living birds of New Zealand. The circumstances surrounding its 

 discovery, its great rarity, and the solitary life it leads in the 

 fastnesses of the West Coast Sounds, add to the interest this 



