THE TAKx\HE 197 



evening, just before darknes.s set in. one of the brothers, while 

 walking along the beach, saw his dog disappear in the bush, and 

 emerge shortly after with a bird in its mouth. The bird was not 

 dead, and it was immediately taken to the camp, where it expired 

 shortly after its capture. A Notornis had been found. The 

 captors immediately took boat to the foot of the lake, twenty-five 

 miles away. Early in the morning they reached their destination 

 with their precious prize, and had to convey it to Lumsden and 

 on to Invercargill, from which place it was forwarded to Dunedin, 

 and placed in the Museum. Later on, it was the subject of a 

 question in the House of Representatives by Mr. R. McNab, the 

 member for Mataura, and was purchased by the Government for 

 £300. 



This bird proved to be a young female, in a thoroughly healthy 

 and clean condition. Professor Benham took it in hand at 

 Dunedin. lie is the first naturalist to examine the internal 

 anatom.v of Notornis. His observations have been communicated 

 to the Zoological Society of London, and have also been published 

 in the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, Volume 

 XXXL. page 151, together wdth plates. 



He states that an interesting fact in regard to the colour of the 

 bird, which must be of great value to it, is immediately notice- 

 able in examining the skin in different lights. He says : — ' ' The 

 best effect is obtained when the light and the eye are in the 

 same direction, and if the front of the bird be looked at. But if 

 we now look at the back of the bird, as it would be seen if it were 

 running away from the pursuer, no bright tint is seen. The 

 colour is dull, dirty grey, admirably adapted for concealing the 

 bird as it escapes into the bush or amongst any growth higher 

 than itself, and capable of casting a shade. The white under- 

 coverts of the tail form, however, a conspicuous mark in the bird, 

 as in so many of its allies, and though more noticeable when seen 

 from the side in contrast with the brighter colours of back and 

 wings, yet, from behind, the white is not so noticeable as might 

 be imagined. It is difficult to say w^hat meaning is to be 

 attributed to this white tail. In many cases, as with antelopes 

 and rabbits, it is a 'recognition mark,' as Wallace has called it, 



