Capt. Hutton on Rallus modestus of New Zealand. 351 



The bill is much more slender (see fig. 1), and longer in 

 proportion to the size of the bird than in R. philippensis ; the 

 wings are of an entirely different structure ; and the tail is very 

 short and soft, and hidden by the coverts ; the hind toe also 

 is much more slender ; and R. philippensis has no claw at the 

 end of the thumb. The sterna also show a great contrast, 

 that of R. modestus being very short but comparatively broad 

 (see fig. 2 a), with the crest feebly developed, the furcula 

 being almost obsolete, and the scapula making a slightly 

 obtuse angle with the coracoid, as in Ocydromus* (see 

 fig. 2b) ; while that of R. philippensis resembles in form the 

 sternum of Crex pratensis. 



Sternum and head of Ralhis modestus. 



Two full-grown specimens and a chick of R. modestus have 

 been obtained. The one from which the skeleton in the 

 colonial museum was prepared was caught in March 1871. 

 Dr. F. Knox, who prepared the skeleton, informs me that it 

 was a female, and contained well-developed ova, and that he 

 considered it an adult bird. The other specimen, the skin of 

 which was sent to Dr. Buller, was caught by Mr. H. Travers 

 on the 5th of January, 1872, together with a chick that was 

 running with it. Mr. Travers informs me that both parent 

 birds were with the chick, that no birds of other species were 

 about, and that when he caught the chick it cried out, the 

 mother then ran up, and he caught her also. The peculiar 

 claw at the end of the thumb, as well as the general dimen- 



* The sternum, however, is much smaller in proportion to the size of 

 the body in R. modestus than it is in Ocydromus, 



SER. HI. — VOL. 111. 2 (' 



