66 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST 



in colour and size much resembles a young black- 

 bird in nestling plumage. The Tristan finch,* 

 about the size of a sparrow and of a greenish colour, 

 appears to be extinct on Tristan da Cunha, though 

 we were told that it is still common on Inaccessible 

 Island. Tristan da Cunha is overrun with rats, 

 and they are probably responsible for the ex- 

 tinction of the finch. 



I also made enquiries as to whether the flight- 

 less moorhenf still existed on the main island, 

 but none of the islanders had any knowledge of 

 the bird. They, however, told me that a bird 

 like a " little black chicken " with long legs is 

 quite common on Inaccessible. There is little 

 doubt that this rail, of which I believe no specimens 

 have yet been obtained, is a different species to 

 that which was formerly found on Tristan da 

 Cunha. Moseley statesf that the rail of Inacces- 

 sible Island was described to him by two men 

 who had been living on that island as " much 

 smaller " than Porphyriornis nesiotis, and differing 

 from it in " having finer legs and a longer beak." 



The name "Inaccessible," it should be mentioned, 

 was given to the island on account of the inac- 

 cessibility of its peak. The island itself, being 

 fringed with a thick growth of kelp weed, is not 

 difficult to land upon, as the weed prevents the 

 surf from breaking on the shore. 



* Nesospiza acunhae. f Porphyriornis nesiotis. 



I "Notes by a Naturalist," 1892, p. 105. 



