137 
from New Caledonia. 
of the Sydney Museum. The bill, legs, and feet in the living 
specimen were of a reddish orange colour; in the stuffed specimen, 
in its recent state, they were of a bright scarlet colour, evidently 
varying from age or other causes. The irides are brown. The 
bird appears to be very hardy, and, as I have been informed, is 
not rare in its native country. Should it prove to be an acqui¬ 
sition, no doubt specimens could be procured and sent to the 
Zoological Gardens in the Regent's Park. It feeds upon insects, 
mice, birds, and raw meat, which it usually devours entire ; it is 
very ravenous for food, and often evinces some degree of pugnacity 
when meddled with. It runs with great rapidity, compressing 
the body and elongating the head and neck in a manner seen 
to obtain among the Rails. In the same compartment in the 
aviary is a living specimen of the New Zealand Rail, the Weka 
of the natives (Ocydromus australis, Sparrm.). The actions of 
these two birds are similar; and there is also a marked resem¬ 
blance between them in the structure of the toes. They are 
both fond of digging in the earth for worms and searching 
about the grass for insects, snails, &c.; but the New Caledonian 
bird, when not disturbed, has a more stately walk than the Rails, 
and in that respect approaches the Herons or Cranes. It 
appears to me to form a link between the Gruidce or Cranes and 
the Rallidce or Rails, which, however, will be more easily de¬ 
cided when an opportunity occurs of examining its anatomy, 
and more especially its osteological structure. No doubt before 
long we shall be able to procure specimens for this purpose, when 
I will communicate with you again on the subject*. 
* This bird is the Rhinochetus jubatus, Yerr. et Des Murs, described 
and figured in the * Revue et Magasin de Zoologie 9 for last year (1860), 
p. 440. pi. 21, from a single example preserved in the “Exposition des 
produits des Colonies ” at Paris. It has been referred by the describers 
(MM. J. Yerreaux and Des Murs) to the Herons ( Ardeidce ), but is cer¬ 
tainly a strange and very interesting form, probably, as Dr. Bennett has 
•suggested, connecting the Rails with the Herons. As no details have been 
given concerning its habits. Dr. Bennett’s account of them is of great 
interest, and we sincerely trust that he may be able to carry out his inten¬ 
tion of sending living examples to England. At present the specimen in 
Paris is the only one known, so that skins and skeletons of this bird would 
be also much valued in this country.— Ed. 
JL 
VOL. III. 
