P^ 
962 T'ransaciions.— Zoology. 
Rarrus snacurPUS, Swains., An. in Menag., p. 996. 
Lewinia brachypus, Bonap. Compt. Rend. de l'Acad. Sci., tom, XLIII. 
Séances des 15 et 22 Sept., 18506. 
Rallus lewinii, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol. VI., pl. 77. 
Baron A. von Hügel, in a communication to ‘The Ibis’ (July 1875), 
writing from Christchurch, says :-—“ I have received a rail killed on the 
Auckland Islands by the unfortunate Captain Musgrave of the ‘Grafton.’ 
As soon as I got the bird I was struck with its resemblance to one of the 
Hallide l was acquainted with, but for some time could not make out 
which. At last it struck me that it must be the Australian Rallus brachypus, 
and on comparing the Auckland with the Australian bird, I found them to 
agree very closely, though the colouring seemed different, but as the Canter- 
bury Museum specimen appears to be very old and faded, it is impossible to 
judge. I shall be able to determine if my rail is Rallus brachypus, or new, as 
soon as I get to Melbourne, there being a good series there. At all events 
it is the first rail known to have been procured in the group.” 
? Ocypromus BRACHYPTERUS, Lafr., Mag. de Zool., 1842, pl. 42. 
As already explained in my paper on the genus Ocydromus,* the above 
is the fourth New Zealand species, if another is really admissible. 
Casaus modestus, Hutton, Ibis, July, 1872. 
Several specimens of this now well-established form have been received 
from the Chatham Islands. 
Noumenius cvaworus, Vieill., 2nd Edit. du Nouv. Dict. d'Hist. Nat., tom. 
VILL, p. 306. 
The occurrence of this species in New Zealand was first mentioned by 
myself, on the authority of Dr. Hector, in the Transactions of the New 
Zealand Institute, Vol. VIL, p. 224; and in the following year, Dr. von 
Haast described two male specimens, obtained in Canterbury (Trans. N.Z. 
Inst., Vol. IX., pp. 427-429). 
NuxxiUs vRoPvoraurs, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc., part VIIL, p. 175. 
Specimen shot at the Wairau and presented to the Colonial Museum by 
Mr, Travers. Noticed in my communication to the Wellington Philoso- 
phical Society on 10th February, 1875.1 
Himantopus ALBICOLLIS, Buller, Trans. N.Z. Inst., Vol. VIL, p. 224. 
Sp. nov. Capite toto eum collo undique et corpore subtus toto albis; 
inter-scapulio, scapularibus cum dorso summo et tectricibus alarum nigris; 
remiges angusté albido terminatis; subalaribus nigris; dorso postico et 
uropygio albis; cauda nigra: rostro nigro: pedibus pallidé cruentatis. 
* Trans. N.Z. Inst, Vol. X., pp. 213-216. .` 
t Trans. BZ Inst., Vol. Vil, P. 224. 
