OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 263 



as the females agree very well with Lesson's figure in the Voyage 

 de la Coquille.* 



MEROPID^. 



48. — Merops 0RNATU3, Lath., Ind. Orn. Suppl. p. 35. (1801). 

 Universally dispersed over the whole Eastern portion of 

 Australia and South East end of New Guinea. Many specimens 

 were obtained. 



Family BUCEROTID^. 



49. — Rhytidoceros plicatus, Penn. 

 Buceros ruficollis, Vieil Nouv. Did. D'Hist IV. p. 600. (1816) ; 

 Eamsay, P.L.S. of N.S.W., vol. I, p. 393. 



This fine horn-bill which is far from being rare in the vicinity 

 of Port Moresby, has caused no slight excitement to inex- 

 perienced collectors and recent travellers. 



The loud rustling of its wings on taking flight, and the 

 immense masses of undigested portions of food, &c., thrown up 

 by this bird, has given rise to wide conjectures as to its size and 

 the great expanse of its wings ; some affirming that they 

 reached to at least 20 feet. Signer D'Albertis has reduced Mr. 

 Stone's gigantic bird to its proper proportions, but I think he 

 has failed to solve the mystery respecting the large heaps of ex- 

 crement, supposed to belong to some large animal. These heaps 

 are nothing more than the undigested food turned out of the 

 paunches of the kangaroos when slain by the natives according 

 to their custom after killing an animal. The eggs of this species 

 I have previously described. {P.L.S. N.S.W., vol. I, p. 393). 



Family CORACIID^. 



60. — EoRTSTOMUS CRASsiROSTBis, Sclater ; P.L.S. 1869, p. 121. 



Tolerably plentiful and universally dispersed over the district 



around Port Moresby ; in habits and actions, much the same as 



E. pacificus. Numbers arrived during the months of December 



* Since the above was written, I have been favoured with a copy of Count Salvadori's 

 paper on Papuan Birds, in which I find the same opinion expressed. (See Ann. del Mus. 

 Civ. di Genov. XII, 1878). 



