187 



cover, only taking wing when pressed or when suddenly surprised. They rise from the ground 

 rather awkwardly, the legs dangling and the wings being hurriedly flapped ; by degrees the 

 trailing legs are raised to the level of the body ; and the flight then becomes more steady, but is 

 nevertheless laboured and heavy. As a rule, they fly only a short distance, dropping into the 

 nearest shelter that offers itself, and trusting for escape to then- swiftness of foot ; when fairly 

 mounted in the air, however, they are capable of a rather prolonged flight, as I have many times 

 had an opportunity of witnessing. 



The Swamp-hen may fairly be considered one of the best of our native birds. The bright- 

 ness of its plumage, and the extreme elegance of its movements at once arrest and please the eye, 

 while, on the other hand, it is in very good repute as a game bird. Along the sedgy margins of 

 the lagoons and swamps it affords good shooting, although it is impossible to flush it without a 

 retriever ; and, if hung sufficiently long and properly dressed, it makes an excellent dish. 



It is naturally shy and timid ; and although I have on several occasions obtained very young 

 ones from the swamps, and reared them with every care, I have never succeeded in completely 

 subduing their wild nature. Some years ago, however, I had the pleasure of seeing, in the Go- 

 vernment Domain at Auckland, three or four of these birds so thoroughly domesticated that they 

 would readily come at the call of the keeper and take food from his hand. 



Its usual note is a short harsh cry, but when disturbed or frightened it utters a long, 

 peevish scream ; and as the bird is seminocturnal in its habits, this rather melancholy sound may 

 sometimes be heard, at intervals, all through the night. 



It usually breeds in swampy situations, the nest, which is composed of dry grass and flags, 

 being in some instances entirely surrounded by water. Mr. T. H. Potts has described* one which 

 he found in a swamp by Lake Ellesmere as being " firmly built of leaves of a Carex, and forming a 

 compact mass some 8 inches in length, and not very easily to be distinguished, as the material of 

 the nest was as green as the surrounding grasses." Mr. Donald Potts, a son of the former gentleman, 

 has sent me the following note : — " The structure is often raised about a foot in height ; and the 

 young, on being disturbed, hide directly they are able to get out of the nest." Dr. Haast informs 

 me that he observed a pair of these birds building their nest on a little pond near Mr. Hill's 

 residence, in the Malvern Hills, on the 21st of September, that they brought forth their brood 

 about the end of October, and commenced to form a new nest close to the old one about the 

 middle of the following month ; and Mr. Potts has collected eggs as late as the 13th of December. 

 We may therefore assume that this species is accustomed to breed twice in the season. 



The number of eggs in a nest varies from two to seven ; but five may be considered the com- 

 plement. They are broadly ovoidoconical in form, measuring 2 - 2 inches in length by T5 hi 

 breadth, and are usually of a pale yellowish brown, spotted and blotched with purplish and 

 reddish brown ; but while differing slightly from one another in size and form, they present also 

 great individual diversity of colouring. The eggs from one nest, however many in number, gene- 

 rally preserve a common, family likeness, and therefore admit of easy classification. A series of 

 twelve specimens in the Canterbury Museum exhibits the following varieties of character. A 

 set of four (presumably from one nest) are of a pale greyish brown, marked over their whole sur- 



* Trans. New-Zealand Inst. 1870, vol. iii. p. 102. 



