BY A. F. BASSET HULL. 67^ 



its habit of stealing both eggs and young of the small native 

 birds. The name " Home Owl," given it by some of the Pit- 

 cairners, refers to its habitat extending to their old home, Pitcairn 

 Island. The term "Owl" no doubt refers to its semi-nocturnal 

 liabit. 



Although there is no recorded instance of an egg of this Cuckoo 

 being found at Norfolk Island, and Dr. Metcalfe considers that 

 it does not lay there, I anticipate that it will yet be found to 

 pjace its egg in the nest of the local Pseudogerygone. 



Dr. Robert Fulton, of Dunedin, N.Z., has dealt very fully with 

 the habits of this Cuckoo,* and has ably summarised the evidence 

 as to its foster parents in New- Zealand, and the descriptions of 

 its eofg. The latter is said to be variable in coloration and mark- 

 ings, being white when laid in domed or covered-in nests, and 

 marked somewhat in imitation of the eggs of its more or less 

 unwilling hosts. So far as can be gathered from the available 

 data, the question of a satisfactory description of the Qgg has not 

 been settled. The dimensions are given as varying from 0*75 to 

 1-25 inch in length, and the shape from almost spherical to ovoido- 

 elliptical. 



A specimen of this bird was shot at Lord Howe Island in 1905, 

 and the skin is now in the possession of Mr. John VVaterhouse, 

 of Chatswood. 



PASSERIFORMES. 

 429(M). 58.HIRUNDO neoxena Gould. 



House Swallow. 



Hah. — Lord Howe Island (accidental). (Australia generally, 

 Tasmania). 



A single bird arrived at Lord Howe Island on the same day 

 as myself. It remained there during my stay on the Island, 

 perching on the porch of Mrs. Nichols' residence, from whence it 

 pursued insects with vigour. Mrs. Nichols informed me that it 

 did not remain long after 1 left. 



* Trans. N. Z. Inst, xxxvi. p. 113, 1903(1904); Report Aust. Assoc. Adv. 

 Sci., 1904, X.. 513. 



