55. 2. An as yet unbalanced bird status on the island and, possibly because of comparatively recent arrival, a still strong population increase tendency to fill the available food supplies, which has lately reached a full but unbalanced "between species ration." This is showing a throwing off or balancing tendency by causing a new colonial or spreading tendency along the island chain to the westward of the mainland, an unconscious colonising tendency. This tendency has been enouraged by the form of culti- vation in many parts of the island helping the birds to slowly adopt unnatural habitats by causing expansion into them for short periods, because of their irregularity and strip form more or less encouraging birds along narrow lines of natural or semi natural habitat in irregular directions, and later when the urge to return to natural habitat is strong, birds probably make a straight direction for their normal area or small territory of habitation. Thus crossing unnatural habitats and feeding en route they become more or less used to feeding in such unnatural areas. I believe definitely lack of food does not cause the outward movement, but some kind of inner or outside unknown impulse induces them to wander wider. UNCOLLECTED RAIL In the taru swamps of Uvea a small black rail is present, called by the local natives OIH-NEI-DU, which I can only place as PORZANA tabuensis. It is exceedingly shy and though not rare in the limited area of these swamps is most difficult to to collect and only very fleeting glimpses are ever obtained of it. It is just possible it is a new species or subspecies as it does not appear from descriptions to tally very closely with P. tabuensis though actually native descriptions of it are unreliable as they seldom catch more than a glimpse of it and to many it is