Order CHAR A DRII FORMES. 
Family SCO LOP ACID/E. 
No. 124. 
CCENOCORYPHA AUCKLANDICA. 
SEMI-WOODCOCK. 
(Plate 90.) 
Gallinago AUCKLANDICA Gray, Voy. “ Erebus and Terror; ” Birds, pt. ix., p. 13, pi. 13 June 
1845: Auckland Island. 
Gallinago aucklandica Gray, Voy. “ Erebus and Terror ”, Birds, pt. ix., p. 13, June, 1845 ; Buller, 
Birds New Zealand, 1st edn., p. 196, 1873 ; id ., 2nd edn., p. 32 and pusilla , p. 33, pi. 28, 
1888; id., Suppl., Vol. I., pp. 188-189, 1905 {pusilla and huegeli) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds 
Brit. Mus., Vol. XXIV., pp. 661 to 663, with the same three names, 1896 (pref. July 10th). 
Ccenocorypha aucklandica. aucklandica Mathews and Iredale, Ibis, 1913, p. 261, July (with 
subspecies). 
Cmocorypha aucklandica Mathews, Syst. Ay. Austral., p. 180, June 13th, 1827 : id., Emu, 
Vol. XXIX., pt. 4, p. 281, April 12th, 1930. 
Distribution. The islands off New Zealand (Auckland, Chatham, Snares, Antipodes and Jack 
Lees Islands). 
Adult female. Head dusky-brown with a line of golden-buff down the middle and another from 
the base of the upper mantle through the eye to the ear-coverts ; hind-neck and mantle, 
scapulars and back rich buff, each feather centred with dusky-black ; rump and upper 
tail-coverts rufous-buff, with indistinct circular markings of dusky-black ; wing-coverts 
golden-olive with dusky centres ; primary-quills ash-brown, the two outermost slightly 
margined on the outer web with light buff ; tail-feathers dusky-brown barred with rufous- 
buff ; chin, throat and sides of the neck isabelline-buff, the latter spotted with black ; 
fore-neck, chest and breast rich buff with rufous-brown middles ; abdomen and under 
tail-coverts creamy-buff ; under wing-coverts and axillaries whitish, barred with dusky. 
Eyes hazel; bill greyish-brown ; legs and feet pale brown. Total length about 220 mm. : 
culnien 62, wing 106, tail 39, tarsus 27. Auckland Island. 
Adult male. Head dusky-brown, a band of golden-buff down the middle of the crown and another 
from the base of the upper mandible through the eye, reaching the ear-coverts ; hind- 
neck, mantle, scapulars and back rich buff, each feather with a large black spot in the 
middle; w'ing-coverts golden-olive, with dusky black centres to each feather ; primary- 
quills ash-brown, the outermost slightly margined on the outer w r eb with light buff ; tail- 
feathers dusky-brown, margined with rich buff and irregularly barred towards the extremity 
with buff; chin and throat isabelline-buff, the latter spotted with black ; fore-neck, chest 
and breast rich buff, the former with small spots of rufous in the centre of each feather ; 
abdomen and under tail-coverts rich buff ; sides of body and flanks rich buff, with con¬ 
centric markings of brow r nish-black ; under w T ing-coverts whitish, barred with dusky. 
Total length about 225 mm. : culmen 60, wing 107, tail 41, tarsus 25. Auckland Island. 
The sexes are alike. 
Young. Resembles the adult described above, but the upper-parts are duller, the chest dull 
straw-colour, each feather wdth a blaekish-brown spot in the middle, and the breast and 
abdomen buffy-white. Culmen 49, wing 101. Auckland Island. 
Nestling. The upper surface is brown, peppered w r itli black on the head ; a black stripe runs 
over the head, from the bill. A black stripe runs through and over the eye, below which it 
is lighter, peppered with brown; chin whitish ; under surface uniform dull brown with 
hair-like tips to the feathers. Eyes brown, bill dark horn, base lighter ; legs blue-grey 
(Ibis, 1893, pi. xv.) 
Nest. A depression in the ground lined with coral moss, which hardens, and can be removed. 
Measures about 4 to 5 inches across. 
Eggs. Clutch two ; ovoid in shape ; ground-colour varies from dark pinkish to a dark ochraceous- 
buff, covered with dark seal-brown spots and smudges, more thickly crowded round t e 
widest circumference. Some specimens have pale lavender-grey blotches and spots roun 
that region, which are more sparsely distributed over the rest of the egg. The smaller en 
is nearly free from spots. 38-42 mm. by 26—29. (Fig. Ibis, 1893, pi- 1L) 
Breeding-season. Towards the end of the year. December (August to the bird of the year). 
CCENOCOHYPHA AUCICLANDICA PUSILLA. 
Adult male. Top of the head brownish-black, margined with rufous and with a streak ol straw- 
colour down the centre ; back of the neck and mantle rufous-buff, with a large ac v spo 
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