♣
The specimens intergrade to such an extent that preciselimitation of species is extremely difficult; but Sir W. L.Buller set them out as these two in 1878, regarding otherspecimens as varieties. The birds are sometimes called Weka-Rails, and the Maori name of Weka-pango isgiven to the Black Wood-hen ( 0. fuscus, Du Bus.).
1845. E. J. Wakefield, `Adventures in New Zealand,' vol. ii.p. 95:
«Two young weka, or wood-hens, about as large as sparrows. . . were esteemed a valuable addition to our scanty supper.»
1864. R. L. A. Davies, `Poems and Literary Remains' (edition1884), p. 263:
«Wood-hens, or Waikas, are a great stand-by in the bush.Their cry can be imitated, and a man knowing their languageand character can catch them easily. They call each other byname, pronounced `Weeka,' latter syllable being shrill andprolonged, an octave higher than the first note. . . . Thewood-hen is about the size of a common barn-door fowl; itscharacter is cunning, yet more fierce than cunning, and moreinquisitive than either.»
1865. Lady Barker, `Station Life in New Zealand,' p. 28:
«Until the numbers of the wekas are considerably reduced. Theyare very like a hen pheasant without the long tail-feathers,and until you examine them you cannot tell they have no wings,though there is a sort of small pinion among the feathers, witha claw at the end of it. They run very swiftly, availingthemselves cleverly of the least bit of cover.»
1867. F. Hochstetter, `New Zealand,' p. 167:
«Another famous bird of chase with the natives is the weka( Ocydromus Australis), or the wood-hen, belonging tothe class of rails, which have already become quite scarce uponNorth Island. In the grassy plains and forests of the SouthernAlps, however, they are still found in considerable numbers.It is a thievish bird, greedy after everything that glistens;it frequently carries off spoons, forks, and the like, but italso breaks into hen-coops, and picks and sucks the eggs.»
1882. T. H. Potts, `Out in the Open,' p. 286:
«Fortunately, the weka bears so obnoxious a character as anevil-doer that any qualm of conscience on the score of crueltyis at once stilled when one of these feathered professors of diablerie is laid to rest.»
1888. W. L. Buller, `Birds of New Zealand,' vol. ii. p. 105:
[A full description.]
1889. Vincent Pyke, `Wild Will Enderby,' p. 82:
«We-ki! we-ki! we-ka! Three times the plaintive cry ofthe `wood-hen' was heard. It was a preconcerted signal.»