Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^"c. 379 



when hunted. I had the pleasure of hearing one one night : the 

 natives told me that it was a male ; so I suppose that the sexes 

 have different cries. 



The Pheasant is getting very numerous here, and breeds twice 

 in the year. The Virginian Quail {Ortyx virginianus) also 

 thrives well. No other birds have as yet been naturalized in 

 this province. Our " Lark " {Anthus nova-seelandice) has in- 

 creased in numbers since the land w^as cleared. Our only mi- 

 gratory birdsj two Cuckoos, arrive in October : one of them 

 [Eudi/namis taitensis) is a first-rate flier, often seen high in the 

 air ; the other {Chrysococctjx lucidus), although very common and 

 constantly heard, both round Auckland and in the bush, is 

 rarely seen, as it hides in the trees. Neither have a note like 

 our Cuckoo; but, according to the natives, both lay eggs in other 

 birds' nests. 



The commonest birds in the bush about here are : — 



Hieracidea novoc-zelaiiditc. 

 Athene novfe-zelandife. 

 Halcyon vagans. 

 Prostliemadera novae-zelaudiffi. 

 Certliiparus novce-zelandife. 

 Rliipidura flabellifera. 

 Antliiis novas -seelaudife. 

 Platycercus pacificus. 



Nestor meridionalis. 

 Clirysococcyx lucidus {in summer). 

 Carpopliaga novce-seelandiie. 

 Eotam-us poecilopterus. 

 Ocydrouius australis. 

 Anas superciliosa, and four other 

 species. 



I hope ornithologists will give us no more " Nova-zelandms ;" 

 we have twelve already ! 



lu the winter the Kingfisher lives about the town, and often 

 eats insects in the fields ; the first bird I saw on landing was one 

 in the barrack-square : now they are all by the river, breeding. 



I am, &c. 



F. W. HUTTON. 



Kingsbury, Middlesex, 

 March 29, 1867. 



Sir, — You may be interested to hear of a novel situation for 

 a Stock-Dove's nest. The spire of the old village church hei'e 

 is a wooden one, and has for many a day given shelter to a 

 loving couple of White Owls, and several pairs of Starlings, not 



