Butuier.—On the Notornis. 239 
Every effort was made by Dr. Heetor and others to retain possession of 
| _ it for one of our local Museums, and immediately before its departure from 
our shores I wrote myself to the owner offering him fifty pounds for the 
skin, but to no purpose. 
a. It will be interesting to watch its ultimate fate; but as there are already 
__ two fine examples in the National Collection, it will most probably find its 
‘q way into one of the Continental or American Museums. Although we have 
_ failed to detain the prize, there is every reason to believe that the species 
j _ still survives in the land, and that it will yet be added to the type collec- 
tion in the Colonial Museum. It is a curious fact, illustrating the wide 
range of a bird supposed to be nearly extinct, that the three known examples 
" have been obtained at localities nearly a hundred miles apart from each 
other, and over an interval of thirty-five years. As the species belongs to a 
gregarious family, and as the general character of its habitat is rough and 
inaccessible in the extreme, I think it may be fairly inferred that many yet 
survive to reward the future search of the Southern naturalist 
The two fine specimens now in the British Museum imepeed to be 
male and female) were obtained through the exertions of our former presi- 
dent, the Hon. Walter Mantell, after whom the bird was named. The 
first of these was captured alive in 1849 by a party of sealers at Duck Cove, 
on Resolution Island, Dusky Sound. ‘‘ Perceiving the trail of a large and 
unknown bird on the snow, with which the ground was covered, they 
followed the footprints till they obtained a sight of the Notornis, which their 
dogs instantly pursued, and after a long chase caught alive. It ran with 
great speed, and upon being captured uttered loud screams, and fought and 
struggled violently. It was kept alive three or four “days on board the 
schooner and then killed, and the body roasted and eaten by the crew, each 
partaking of the dainty, which was declared to be delicious.’ -The second 
of Mr. Mantell’s specimens was caught by the Maoris on Secretary Island, 
Opposite to Deas Cove, Thompson Sound. This also was eaten, but fortu- 
nately the skin was preserved and sent to England to join the other, and 
(as already mentioned in my “‘ Birds of New Zealand”) these members of 
an expiring race, ‘‘ having been carefully mounted by Mr. Bartlett, now 
stand side by side in the National Collection of Great Britain, and, like the 
remains of the Dodo in the adjoining case, daily attract the attention of 
thousands of eager visitors.” 
The third specimen to which I have specially to refer this evening, was 
- obtained last year, on what are called the ‘‘ Bare-patch Plains,” on the 
eastern side of Te Anau Lake. The circumstances of the capture were 
thus narrated to me by Captain Hankinson, on whose property it occurred. 
A man who was engaged “‘ rabbiting ’’ on the run, had camped on the 
