263 
the Avifauna of New Caledonia. 
thology/ speak of these as one species. We have only found, 
both here and in Fiji, what we take to be L. uropygialis, 
Gould. 
Numenius uropygialis, Gould. 
Mr. Gray (B. Trop. IsL, p. 48) gives N. tahitiensis (Gould) 
as the New-Caledonian bird; and we have likewise so identi¬ 
fied it. Our bird is identical with the Fijian, which we now 
think we have wrongly called N. femoralis. We hope shortly 
to transmit specimens to England for the inspection of our 
friend Mr. Harting. 
77. Hypot^nidia philippensis, Gm. 
Very abundant in the small island of Huon, to the north 
of New Caledonia. They rarely can be forced to take wing, 
and are caught in the grass by dogs. We have received 
several specimens alive. 
78. Ortygometra tabuensis (Gmel.). 
Porzana immaculata, Gould. 
We have not yet seen it from this island. 
79. Ortygometra cinerea, Yieill., cited by M. Marie as 
Zapornia leucophrySj Gould, appears in the Lifu collection. 
A small Bail is said to be very abundant on the islands of 
Huon and Surprise, in addition to No. 77, which is there 
called a QuaiP^ or Partridge It is probably this 
species, which is said (Gray^s ^ Birds of Tropical Islands ^) to 
be found also on the island of Tanna, the large southern 
island of the New-Hebrides group, which is distant only a 
few hours’ sail. 
81. PoRPHYRio melanonotus, Tcmm. 
82. PoRPHYRIO BELLUS, Gould. 
The only ^^Blue Gallinule’’ we have seen from here is 
undoubtedly identical with the species spread over the whole 
of the Fijian, Samoan, Tongan, and New-Hebridean groups, 
and which we cannot look upon as other than P. vitiensiSy 
Peale. We pay no attention to difiPerence of size, when un¬ 
accompanied by other distinctions j the scarcity or plenty of 
food may well account for discrepancies in this respect 
—suitability of environment,” in fact. 
