Oedee GEALLjE.] 
[Fam. EALLIDiE. 
NOTOENIS MANTELLL 
(MANTELL^S NOTORNIS.) 
Notornis mantelli, Owen, Tr. Zool. Soc. iii. p. 377, pi. Ivi. figs. 7-13 (1848). 
Native names. — Moho, Takahe, and Tokohea. 
Ad. supiA viridis ; pileo et collo iindique cum corpore subtus toto nigricantibus, ultramariiio niteutibus : tectricibus 
alarum cyanescentibus viridi lavatis : rcmigibus nigris, primariis extus cseruleo marginatis, secundariis intimis 
dorso concoloribus : cauda suj)rk viridi dorso concolore : subcaudalibus albis : rostro la;te rubro, versus apicem 
flavicante : pedibus pallide rubris : iride rubra. 
Adult male. Head and tbroat bluish black, passing into dark purplish blue on the bind neck; the whole of the 
back, rump, upper tail-coverts, lesser wing-coverts, and scapulars dull olive-green, tipped more or less with 
verditer-green, and of a darker shade towards the shoulders ; fore neck, breast, sides of the body, and flanks 
beautiful purplish blue; a band of the same colour, half an inch wide, separates the dark blue of the nape 
from the olive-green of the upper surface; thighs, abdomen, and vent bluish black ; under tail-coverts white ; 
wing-featlicrs rich deep blue on their outer webs, dusky brown margined with blue on their inner ; the gi eater 
cov'crts with broad terminal margins of verditer-green, forming crescentic bands in the expanded wings ; 
tail-feathers dark olive-green, wdtb brown shafts, dark brown on their under surface. The plumage of the 
back and rump is soft and thick, and on being disturbed is found to be dull greyish brown towards the base. 
Irides red; frontal plate and bill bright red, yellowish towards the tips of both mandibles; tarsi and toes 
lighter red ; claws horn-brown. Total length 24 inches; wing, from flexure, 975 ; tail 4-5 ; from posterior 
edge of frontal plate to tip of upper mandible 3-25 ; from gape of the mouth, along the edge of lower man- 
dible, 2; tarsus 3'25 ; middle toe and claw 3'75 ; bind toe and claw 1 7. 
Female. A second specimen in the Rritisb IMuseum, which is supposed to be a female, is somewhat smaller than 
the above in all its dimensions, has the colours generally duller, and the olive-green of the upper parts shaded 
with brown. 
Obs. A third example (now in the Dresden Museum) has since been captured in the Otago District. This bird, 
of wdiicli a detailed description will be found in the text below, is apparently a female, and diflers noticeably 
from the tw'o Britisli-Museum specimens in the entire absence of the bright crescents on the wing-coverts, 
w'hich are so conspicuous a feature in the latter, and particularly in the male. 
The name of Walter Mantell will ever be associated with the palaeontology of the Postpliocene and 
Pleistocene deposits of New Zealand, as is that of liis illustrious father (the late Dr. Mantell) with 
the palaeontology of the Wealden formation of the south-east of England. Mr. Mantell was the first 
scientific explorer of the Moa-heds of kVaikouaiti and kk aiingongoro, and he succeeded in forming 
some magnificent collections of fossil remains, which were forwarded to England and ultimately depo- 
sited in the British Aluseum. The value to science of these discoveries is amply demonstrated in 
Professor Owen’s elaborate ‘ Memoirs ’ on Dinornis and its allies, read before the Zoological Society 
from time to time, and published in the ‘Transactions.’ Not only has Mr. Mantell contributed largely 
to our knowledge of the geology and palseontology of the country, but he has likewise made additiorrs 
to our ornithology, the most important of these being his discovery of a living species of Notorms, 
