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found to be generically distinct. It is allied to Porphyrio in the 
form of its bill and in its general colouring, and to Tribonyx in the 
structure of its feet, while in the feebleness of its wings and the struc¬ 
ture of its tail it differs from both. 
From personal observation of the habits of Tribonyx and Por¬ 
phyrio, I may venture to affirm that the habits and ceconomy of the 
present bird more closely resemble those of the former than those 
of the latter; that it is doubtless of a recluse and extremely shy 
disposition; that being deprived, by the feeble structure of its wing, 
of the power of flight, it is compelled to depend upon its swiftness of 
foot for the means of evading its natural enemies ; and that, as is the 
case with Tribonyx , a person may be in its vicinity for weeks without 
ever catching a glimpse of it. 
From the thickness of its plumage and the great length of its 
back-feathers, we may infer that it affects low and humid situations, 
marshes, the banks of rivers, and the coverts of dripping ferns, so 
abundant in its native country: like Porphyrio, it doubtless enjoys 
the power of swimming, but would seem, from the structure of its 
legs, to be more terrestrial in its habits than the members of that 
genus. 
I have carefully compared the bill of this example with that figured 
by Professor Owen under the name of Notornis Mantelli , and have 
little doubt that they are referable to one and the same species ; and 
as we are now in possession of materials whence to obtain complete 
generic characters, I hasten to give the following details, in addition 
to those supplied by Professor Owen. 
Bill somewhat shorter than the head; greatly compressed on 
the sides, both mandibles being much deeper than broad; tomia 
sharp, curving downwards, inclining inwards and slightly serrated; 
culmen elevated, much arched and rising on the forehead to a line 
with the posterior angle of the eye ; nostrils round, and placed in a 
depression near the base of the bill; wings very short, rounded, and 
slightly concave ; primaries soft and yielding ; the first short; third, 
fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh equal and the longest; tail-feathers 
soft, yielding, and loose in texture; tarsi powerful, longer than the 
toes, almost cylindrical; very broad anteriorly; defended in front 
and on either side posteriorly by broad and distinct scutelise : the 
spaces between the scutelise reticulated; anterior toes large and strong, 
armed with powerful hooked nails, and strongly scutellated on their 
upper surface; hind-toe short, strong, placed somewhat high on the 
tarsus, and armed with a blunt hooked nail. 
Head, neck, breast, upper part of the abdomen and flanks purplish 
blue ; back, rump, upper tail-coverts, lesser wing-coverts and tertiaries 
dark olive-green, tipped with verditer-green ; at the nape of the neck 
a band of rich blue separating the purplish blue of the neck from the 
green of the body; wings rich deep blue, the greater coverts tipped 
with verditer-green, forming crescentic bands when the wing is ex¬ 
panded ; tail dark green ; lower part of the abdomen, vent and thighs 
dull bluish black ; under tail-coverts white ; bill and feet red. 
Total length ot the body, 26 inches; bill, from the gape to the 
