On a strange New Zealand Wood-Hen. 293 



No birds were procured, but a series of 29 eggs was 

 obtained from Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. 

 Clutches of QuaiPs eggs were taken at — 



1. Caldereta (Fuerteventura), 5. v. 13. 



2. „ ,, 5.V.13. 



3. LaPena „ 12. v. 13. 



4. Haria (Lanzarote), 23. v. 13. 



5. „ „ 26.V. 13. 



This series show the usual variety of colouring. As I 

 have no means of ascertaining wliether they belong to 

 C. c. coturnix or C. c. africana, I have not given any measure- 

 ments or description. 



XII. — Desc?'iption of a strange New Zealand Wood-Hen. 

 By Gregory M. Mathews and Tom Iredale. 



(Plate XI.) 



Probably no small group of birds has been so much dis- 

 cussed as the New Zealand Wood- Hens, and, without 

 exception, the investigators have been compelled to relin- 

 quish the problems without any satisfactory solution having 

 been achieved. 



The examination of the series available shows at once the 

 reason of an indefinite result,, viz., the accumulation of odd 

 uusexed individuals instead of carefully localised sexed* 

 series. The restrictions placed upon scientific collectors by 

 the New Zealand Government, coupled with the unrestricted 

 advances made by the enemies of the birds, the felling of 

 bush, etc., suggest that no definite solution will be reached. 



In our lieference List ('Ibis/ 1913, pp. 21J-214) we 

 were compelled to lump under the name GalUrallus hectori 

 (Hutton), the forms of the South Island Wood-Hen pre- 

 viously known as Ocydromus australis and 0. hectori. To 

 anyone acquainted with these birds and at all familiar with 

 the topography of the South Island of New Zealand, such a 

 lumping would savour of the absurd. The most casual 



