"The Wilderness,"

for such is the appropriate name of this [unclear: de] piece of country, stretches away to [unclear: the] west of the road and culminates to [unclear: the] in a short distance in a rush-grown [unclear: tnd] the drier and more open ground, [unclear: in] grows the bog pine, the takahe [unclear: was] Particulars of the capture this [unclear: spec] the takehe are given in Sir Walter [unclear: b] "History of the Birds of New [unclear: Zealand] Walter obtained them from [unclear: Capable] son, on wbose station the capture [unclear: occe] have had the good fortune to be [unclear: able] over intereatin g occurrence with [unclear: Mr] Henry, now engaged in the work of [unclear: pre] ground birds or our West Coast by [unclear: tra] them from the mainland of the [unclear: sounds] lution Island under the auspices of the [unclear: G] ment. Mr Henry knew the [unclear: rabbiter] well, and be informs me that Scott's [unclear: ac] the ctrcumstances under which [unclear: he] the takahe differs somewhat from that Captain Hankinson to Sir Walter [unclear: Bu] may be of public interest to set [unclear: f] exact circumstances as given to Mr [unclear: H] Scott, and thus preserve an [unclear: authentic] of one of the most interesting [unclear: events] with the ornithology of the colooy.[unclear: h] page 19 account of the incident is as follows:—"My old dog brought the bird to me alive out of some rushes. I twisted its neck and [unclear: ung] the bird up to the ridge pole." The reason given for the bird's appearance at the spot where it was capturead—viz, "that the weagther had been exceptionally severe, and it was supposed that this was, how the Notoruis come to be found on the flats, having been driven down from the high country"—can hardly be correct There is no high country anywhere near "The Wilderness," and Mr Henry feels sure that this was the bird's natural shelter.

Mr He ry has considerable hope that he will himself yet be able to show that the last of the takahes has not yet been captured. He believes that the natural habitat of the bird is in localities where the bog" pine grows, and that the seeds of the tree probably frorm part of its food. Confirmatory evidence of this is, he believe, to be found in the fact that in addition to the specimen secured by Scott having been found in a bog pine region of the only other live takahes which have been met with was captured in Duck. Cove, Resolution Island, Dusky Bound, where extensive patches of bog pine are found. Although there are few men in New Zealand who have so thoroughly explorerd and searched the West Coast bush, Mr Henry has seldom or never hunted in bog prime country for ground birds, there being so few of them to be [unclear: ud]. There is thus a strong 'additional reason for supposing that the takahe might have thus escaped notice. A careful search, therefore in these unexplored patches may have the most gratifying resuls.

It may be interesting to here note that the takahe referred to as having been got at Resolution Island was captured in Duck Cove, at that island, in 1849 by party of sealers, and the second by some Maoris on Secretary Island a good many years later. These specimens both in the British Museum. The Te Anau specimen was also unfortunately lost to the colony, having been secured for the Dresden Museum.