32 THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD [Vol. II. 



parts of South America. When it is made known that 

 stricMandi Bonaparte is also riot a Gallinago but a 

 semi- Woodcock, and is only a large edition of Coenocorypha, 

 much of the puzzle reveals itself. Every student of 

 the " Snipes " must agree with Seebohm that their 

 style of coloration is of ancient lineage, and the extra- 

 ordinary resemblance between "(r. stricklandi " Bonaparte 

 of the Straits of Magellan, and Coenocorypha aucklandica 

 Gray and its allies of the Subantarctic Islands of New 

 Zealand and the Chathams, cannot be explained away 

 by coincidence or convergence. The acceptance of 

 their very close relationship accounts for the restriction 

 of Coenocorypha to the above-noted islands, and the 

 scarcity of food and other conditions would be respon- 

 sible for the depauperation of the genus. 



PlI^OPUS PH^OPUS VARIEGATUS (Scopoli). 



In the Reference List {I.e., p. 257) two occurrences 

 for the mainland of New Zealand only are included, 

 Reischek's collection adds a third, as there is a bird 

 labelled : " New Brighton, South New Zealand (^ June 

 1879." 



I wish here to acknowledge my great indebtedness 

 to Dr. Sassi, who placed himself at my disposal while 

 I was at the Museum and thereby made possible, by 

 his invaluable aid, the accumulation of these notes. 



