Art. XI.—On the Probable Origin of Notornis mantelli, and its Extinction in New Zealand.

By Richard Henry.
Communicated by Sir James Hector.

[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 11th July, 1899.]

Many readers will remember that the swamp-hen was mentioned in Cook's voyages at various places in the Pacific, and every one knows that our bird is common in Australia under a variety of names, of which swamp-hen is about the best, because it is simple and accurately descriptive. Thus we may assume that it is migratory, and in the case of the Notornis (which is also a rail) may have a history parallel to that of the wood-hen. Coming here long ago in search of the New Zealand swamps—of which it may have had a hereditary geographical knowledge—and becoming tired or storm-bound, it dropped down in the West Coast bush, where seeds were abundant before the advent of rats, and where there were no enemies on the ground. The sparrow-hawk was probably their worst enemy in New Zealand, because the swamp-hen cannot turn and twist on the wing, but flies straight, and offers a splendid mark for the swooping hawk. I have seen them knock down several swamp-hens, and, ferret-like sometimes only drink their blood. If those hawks were plentiful it must have been a great inducement for the old swamp-hens to stay in the scrub, until at last they were too lazy to fly, especially those that had escaped a knock or two from the hawks. Then, with mates of like experience, there is no mystery about the founding of this notable family—a branch of which exists in the white swamp-hen of Norfolk Island.

A curious item was told me this morning by Mr. Nixon, of H.M. Customs. About twenty years ago the “Gleaner” (Captain Agnew) came into Greymouth with a strange bird aboard, which turned out to be a New Zealand or Australian swamp-hen, that came to the vessel for a rest four hundred miles from the New Zealand coast, and was captured by the crew. There is no doubt about this fact, notwithstanding our habit of thinking that swamp-hens are poor fliers; and there need be as little mystery about the disappearance of the Notornis when we come to know the facts. The rats at my homestead will never allow a single grain of oats to ripen, but eat it all in the soft stage, and they take about 70 per cent. of the grass-seed. The native thrush and the kakapo can shell oats nearly as well as a sparrow, though I know of no such grain in the bush. This gives us a hint of what kind