-154- been formerly eaten by the natives in great numbers, and of late years from being destroyed by wild cats; and it is said that most of the Ground-Pigeons are following the fate of the Didunculus from the same causes." Peale says formerly common, but being killed off rapidly by cats run wild. Nicoll did not see it (1903), but heard it was getting rare, and only found in the mountains. Rallidae. Porphyrio melanotus samoensis Peale. (Type locality Upolu.) All the islands: Whitmee ("common all over the islands.") ------Layard (very common here). Savaii: Græffe; Kubary. Upolu: Peale ("abundant in all the fresh-water ponds" and in grassy meadows); Græffe; Mitchell. Pareudiastes pacificus Hartlaub and Finsch. (Type locality, Savaii.) Type in the museum at Hamburg. ------ Whitmee (female, 1872, and a skin in 1873, in Tristam colln). Savaii: Kubary (1 skin; 1 alcoholic). Upolu. Said by Whitmee to be more common on Savaii than on Upolu, but the known specimens seem to have come from the former island. The native name is "Puna'e", pronounced Punahe; Whitmee gives an account of it in the P. Z. S., for 1874, pp. 184-186. He says it lives in the mountains some distance inland, and in burrows; but he got his information from natives, few of whom knew the bird at first hand. Information came mostly from old natives who knew the Puna'a when it was plentiful. Its eyes are "uncom- monly large", according to Hartlaub and Finsch, who studied Kubary's specimens, indicating that it may be nocturnal. The bill is said to be reddish orange; frontal shield yellow; legs and feet light red; irides brown-red. Among the known birds of Samoa, this is the rarest; no speci- mens in America. Eulabeornis philippensis goodsoni Mathews. (Type locality, "Samoa.") ------ Peale; Whitmee ("very common," especially near the coast); Layard (very abundant). Savaii: Kubary. Tutuila: R. C. Reed. Upolu: Peale; Græffe; Mitchell.