46 



two to be the female, although the wing-markings are more conspicuous than in the larger 

 one. In this latter the curve in the bill is very apparent. 



Male. — Extreme length, 9 in. ; wing, from flexure, 3*2 in. ; tail, 1"6 in. ; bill, alono- the 

 ridge, 1*5 in., along the edge of lower mandible, VI in. ; tarsus, 1*2 in. ; middle toe and 

 claw, 1'5 in. 



Female. — Extreme length, 7 '5 in. ; wing, from flexure, 3 in. ; tail, 1*5 in. ; bill, alono' the 

 ridge, 1*25 in., along the edge of lower mandible, 1*6 in. ; tarsus, 1 in. ; middle toe and 

 claw 1*4 in. 



In both examples there is a minute spur at the flexure of each wing. 



Mr. Hawkins writes : " The young ones are always of the same colour as the old. They 

 nest in holes in the ground, and when the young are hatched they get into fallen hollow 

 trees. They live on insects, principally the sand-hoppers (Crustacea amphipoda) , which travel 

 into the bush here a long way. There is no sand at all on the island (Mangere) where the 

 birds are." 



Dr. Forbes, who was fortunate enough to secure a specimen of the egg (the only one as yet 

 discovered) states that it is nearly white, measuring 1*45 in. in length by l'l in. in diameter, and 

 indicating its Ealline character by a faint double spotting of grey and rufous. 



The flightless Waterhen of Tristan d'Acunha (Gallinida nesiotis) was discovered by Sir 

 George Grey in a very peculiar way, as already recorded by me (vol. ii., p. 104). In forwarding 

 a living example of it to the Zoological Gardens, Sir George reported that " it can flutter a 

 little, but obviously uses its wings and not its legs as a means of escape." On examining 

 this form, Dr. Sclater, who named and described the species, found that the wings, sternum, 

 and coracoids are all reduced in length, and the crest of the sternum in depth, in comparison 

 with the same bones in the European Waterhen (G. cMorapus), whilst, on the other hand, 

 the thigh-bones and pelvis are increased in length, the former by four lines, relatively to the 

 same bones in the common Waterhen. " Hence," as Mr. Darwin remarks, " in the skeleton 

 of the natural species nearly the same changes have occurred, only carried a little further, 

 as with our domestic ducks, and in the latter case I presume no one will dispute that they 

 have resulted from the lessened use of the wings and the increased use of the lea's." 



GALLINULA NESIOTIS : BY KEULEMANS. 



