TOWNSEND AND WETMORE : THE BIRDS. 195 



that the birds were disturbed by a 'Hawk.' We remained some time 

 watching, and I saw our friend the Cuckoo drive a Noddy out of the 

 nest and take possession of it, while the old birds and apparent pro- 

 prietors tried in vain to dislodge the intruder. * * * 



" I do not doubt that the Cuckoo was about to lay. * * * 

 "Although I offered rewards to the natives on many .islands, I 

 never was able to get an egg of the Cuckoo. In the Gilberts the people 

 say they have never seen eggs or young, and, as I told you, they hold 

 the tradition that the female takes a portion of the covering of the 

 young palm-leaf and flying up with it deposits it on a cloud, lays her 

 egg on it, where it is hatched by the sun." North, Proc. Zool. soc. 

 London, 1896, p. 934. 



It would be strange indeed if this remarkable bird could survive 

 under the care and feeding of the Noddy, but this seems more plaus- 

 ible than that its young should be able to thrive (in the EUice Islands) 

 upon the vegetable food given young pigeons for their sustenance. 

 Certainlv the former belief is the more credible. 



ALCEDINIDAE. 



46. Sauropatis mediocris (Sharpe). 



Halcyon mediocris Sharpe, Cat birds Brit, mus., 1892, 17, p. 260. (Ponape). 



A female was taken on Ponape' in the Eastern Caroline Islands, 

 12 February, 1900. In his original description Sharpe designates 

 this bird as subspecies b of S. cinnamomina (Swainson) (though he 

 uses a binomial name for it). The bird at hand differs from females 

 of S. cmnavtomina in having the under parts entirely white, the crown 

 paler and the collar on the hind neck white instead of cinnamon. In 

 addition the white collar is bordered behind by black and the back 

 is more bluish. The differences are so great that Sauropatis mediocris 

 seems (from the present material at least) to represent a full species.^ 

 S. lucdiocris agrees with the following species S. sacra in the form of its 

 bill, and in ha\'ing the tenth (outermost) primary shorter than the 

 sixth and longer than the fifth. 



'As has been pointed out by Seale (Occas. papers Bernice Pau ah i Bishop mus., 1901, 1, 

 no. 3, p. 40) Halcyon rujigularis Sharpe (Cat. birds Brit, mus., 1892. 17, p. 260) based on a skin 

 received from the Zoological society of London, is the female of Sauropatis cinnamomina 

 (Swainson), 



