Oedee GRALLjE.] 
[Fam. IIALLID^E. 
EALLUS BEACHYPUS. 
(SWAINSON’S RAIL.) 
Hallus hrachipus, Swains. Anim. in Menag. p. 336 (1838). 
Eallus lewinii, Swains, ibid. p. 336 (1838). 
Eallus lewinii, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol. vi. pi. 77 (1848). 
Lewinia hrachypus, Bonap. Compt. Eend. de FAcad. Sci. tom. xliii. (1856). 
Ad. similis R. philippensi, sed minor et saturatior et dorso hand albido maculato, primariis concoloribus : supercilio 
cineraeeo nullo, facie laterali et eolli lateribus saturate einereis, minime rufis, fascia pectorali cervina nulM 
distinguendus. 
Adult. Crown and sides of the head and hind neck dark rufous, each feather centred with black ; chin greyish 
white ; cheeks, fore neck, and bi-east olivaceous grey tinged with rufous ; upper surface dark olivaceous 
brown, the interscapulars largely centred with glossy brownish black ; the whole of the upper wing-coverts, 
the sides of the body, and the upper part of abdomen brownish black, fasciated with narrow and pretty 
regular bar’s of white; quills and tail-feathers dark brown, the scapulars black with olivaceous-brown 
margins ; flanks and lower part of abdomen with broken transverse bars of fulvous ; under tail-coverts 
crossed and tipped with white ; bill and feet dark brown. Total length 8’75 inches ; wing, from flexure, 4 ; 
tail 1’5; bill, along the ridge 1'3, along the edge of lower mandible 1‘6; tarsus 1’3; middle toe and 
claw 1’5. 
Young. Has the head very similar to R. philijipensis in its immature state ; plumage generally duller ; there is 
very little rufous on the head, and only a dull wash of rufous on the hind neck ; the fore neck and breast 
paler than in the adult, whitish on the throat and abdomen. 
Baron A. von Hugel thus records (in a letter to ‘ The Ibis,’ 1875, pp. 392, 393) his good fortune in 
obtaining a specimen of this Kail from the Auckland Islands, this being indeed my only authority for 
including the species in the Avifauna of New Zealand 
“ I have received a Kail killed on the Auckland Islands by the unfortunate Captain Musgrave of 
the ‘ Grafton.’ As soon as I got the bird I was struck with its resemblance to one of the Kallidee I 
was acquainted with, but for some time could not make out which. .At last it struck me that it must 
be the Australian Eallus hrachjpus ; and on comparing the Auckland with the Australian bird, I found 
them to agree very closely, though the colouring seemed different ; but as the Canterbury-Museum 
specimen appears to be very old and faded, it is impossible to judge. I shall be able to determine if 
my Kail is Eallus hrachypus, or new, as soon as I get to Melbourne, there being a good series there. 
At all events it is the first Kail known to have been procured in the group.” 
I he Baron has since informed me that a f urther comparison of specimens confirms his first con- 
jecture. The specimen is now packed away with the rest of his collection, so that I have not yet 
had an opportunity of examining it ; but I feel no hesitation in accepting his identification of the 
species. 
