NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 



585 



the male and female Urndynamis taitensis. This species is a 

 regular visitant to New Zealand, arriving there early in October 

 and departing again at the end of February. According to Sir 

 Walter Buller it is parasitic in habits, and in his second edition 

 of the " Birds of New Zealand," he gives an interesting account 

 of an egif of this Cuckoo being hatched out by a Wood Robin, 

 Miro alhifrons, in whose nest it had been deposited. He has also 

 frequently seen the little Grey Warbler, Greygowi flaviventris, 

 feeding the young of this Cuckoo. It is truly a nomadic species, 

 wandering over many islands of the South Pacific, having been 

 recorded from Norfolk Island, Samoa, Fiji, the Friendly Islands 

 and the Solomons. In 1892 a specimen was also obtained on 

 Lord Howe Island by Mr. T. R. Icely, the Visiting Magistrate. 

 Previously this species has not been I'ecoi-ded so far north as the 

 Gilbert Islands. Mr. Swayne infoi'ms me that it is the only land 

 bird found on the group, and that it seldom makes its appearance 

 except just before rain sets in. The natives, who have never seen 

 the egg of the long-tailed Cuckoo, look on the bird with some 

 awe, and the tradition current among them is, that the female 

 strips a portion of the cloth-like covering of the young palm leaf 

 and flying up with it deposits it on a cloud, lays her egg on it 

 and leaves it to be hatched b}^ the sun." 



Mr. North also exhibited the head, crop, and gizzard of a 

 Wonga-wonga pigeon ( Leucosarcia 2}icata, Lath.), shot by Mr. H. 

 J. McCooey in a myrtle scrub at Upper Burragorang on the 21st 

 instant. The crop is absolutely crammed with dipterous larvje 

 (Ilabroma'itix ciuerascens, Sk.), and undigested portions of them 

 mixed with seeds, berries, and earth appear also in the gizzard. 

 As the dipterous larvfe are known to be destructive to grass, the 

 Wonga-wonga would ajDpear to be deserving of consideration. 



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