523 Sir W. L, BuUer on a new Species of 



91. BuTORiDEs JAVANICA (Horsf.) ; Sliarpe^ Bull. B. O. C. 

 iii. p. xvii (1894^). 



92. Ardetta cinnamomea (Ginel.) ; Sharpe^ Bull. B. O. C. 

 iii. p. xxxi (1894). 



93. Gallinago gallinago (Liun.) . 



Scolopax gallinago, Seebohm, Geogr. Distr. Charadriidae, 

 p. 484 (1887). 



94. Gallinago megala, Swinh. 



Scolopax megala, Seebohm, Geogr. Distr. Cliaradriidae, 



p. 479(1887). 



XLVII. — On a new Species of Fern-bird (Sphenoeacus) 

 from the Snares Islands. By Sir Walter L. Buller^ 

 K.C.M.G., Sc.D., P.R.S. 



In a collection of birds made for me by Mr. H. H. Travers, 

 on the last visit of the Government steamboat ' Hinemoa ' 

 to tlie various groups of islands adjacent to New Zealand, 

 there are a good many specimens of a Fern-bird or "JJi'vck," 

 obtained by him on the Snares, a group of islets lying about 

 70 miles south of the southernmost extremity of New Zea- 

 land. I have hitherto referred this island-form to Mr. G. 

 R. Gray's Sphenoeacus fulvus. But the opportunity of ex- 

 amining so good a series (both of males and females) has led 

 me to investigate the subject further, and I am now satisfied 

 that the species of the Snares is distinct. 



Mr. G. R. Gray's description of Sphenoeacus fulvus ap- 

 peared in his very useful '' List of the Birds of New Zealand 

 and the adjacent Islands," which came out in 'The Ibis' for 

 1862. 



To commence with, his bird was fji-om New Zealand ; and, 

 although no locality is given, it cannot have come from the 

 Snares, inasmuch as there was no communication with those 

 small islands at that time. 



According to his description, Sphenoeacus fulvus, although 

 of a " rather larger size " than Sphenoeacus punctatus, has a 



