Letters, Announcements, fyc. 427 



With the small Curlew a few of the eastern Black-tailed 

 Godwit, Limosa brevipes, came in. These were all males, 

 and in nearly full summer plumage. 



The Eastern Golden Plovers (Charadrius fulvus) were now 

 frequent. I give the measurements of a fresh male in nearly 

 complete summer dress : — 



Charadrius fulvus, <3 . Length 9*5 inches. Wing 6*5, 

 exceeding tail by -5 ; tip of wing *85 beyond tertiaries, first 

 quill longest. Tail 26, of twelve slightly graduated fea- 

 thers; the two centrals longest by # 2. Bare part of tibia '7 ; 

 tarse 1'78; middle toe 1*3, its claw -18. The legs stretched 

 backwards reach beyond the tail 1*3. Beak from forehead '9, 

 from gape 1*1. 



One bird I was constantly on the look-out for but never 

 found — to wit, the Eastern Grey Snipe, Pseudoscolopax semi- 

 palmatus, Blyth. 



Yours, &c. 



R. SWINHOE. 



Wellington, N. Z., 1st July, 1873. 



Sir, — In the introduction to Dr. Buller's 'Birds of New 

 Zealand ' a specimen of Tribonyx mortieri is mentioned as 

 having been brought from New Zealand by Mr. Bills, which 

 bird Mr. Bills stated was captured near Lake Waihora, in 

 Otago. On reading this I remembered that I had seen a 

 specimen of Tribonyx mortieri in the gardens of the Otago 

 Acclimatization Society shortly before Mr. Bills left New 

 Zealand ; and suspecting that this was the bird that Mr. Bills 

 took home, I wrote to Mr. A. C. Purdie, Curator of the Otago 

 museum, and asked him to find out for me the history of this 

 bird. The following is an extract from his answer : — 



" The Rail (Tribonyx mortieri) that you say is described 

 by Dr. Buller as from New Zealand, is the same that you 

 saw in the Society's gardens. It was brought from Hobarton 

 by Mr. Clifford, and was presented to the Society by Sir 

 Morton Allport, of Hobarton, when Mr. Clifford was there 



