No.l.] THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD 15 



Galltrallus hectori (Hutton). 



In the Ibis, 1913, p. 213, Mathews and I showed that 

 the name Rallus australis Sparrman had been misapplied, 

 and concluded : " The common South Island Wood-Hen 

 must for the present bear the name G. hectori, which 

 was proposed by Hutton for an Alpine form ^^'^hich longer 

 series may show worthy of separation." This opinion 

 has been confirmed by examination of the series collected 

 by Reischek : a fine lot from Canterbury are quite 

 constant and can obviously not be confused with typical 

 G. hectori (Hutton) of which the original description 

 reads : "It general hue is Isabella brown or fawn coloured 

 with the primary feathers rounded," contrasting it Avith 

 the lowland bird which Hutton called " troglodytes." 



For the lowland bird, which differs in its darker 

 coloration and smaller size and which has been well 

 described and figured in BuUer's Birds of New Zealand, 

 1873, p. 170, under the name " Ocydromus australis," I 

 propose the name " Gallirallus hectori reischeJci," subsp n. : 

 Type in coll. G. M. Mathews. 



PoEPHYEio ALBUS (White). 



In the Birds of Australia, Vol. I., 1911, pp. 247-255, 

 •Mathews has so fully discussed this bird that nothing 

 further appears to be necessary. The beautiful figures 

 there given would seem to be suflficient to satisfy any 

 student, and I entirely agree with the results put forward 

 by Mathews. The only point where criticism might 

 be directed is that Mathews did not personally examine 

 the Vienna Museum unique specimen. 



Yet in the Official CheckHst of the Birds of Australia 

 (Emu, Vol. XII., Supplement 1913) an "Appendix B" 

 is included, pp. 107-108, giving a " List of Birds peculiar 

 to Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands," and therein is 

 included " Notornis alba White," though Mathews had 

 clearly shown that this bird was referable to Porphyrio. 

 Mathews was dependent on photos of the Vienna bird, 

 but these were very clear and conclusive. The action 



