INSESSORES. 477 



Family STURNID-Sl. 



Genus CALORNIS, G. R. Gray. 



But one species of this form has yet been discovered in 

 AustraUa; others inhabit Batchian and New Guinea, and, I 

 beheve, Java and Sumatra. Of their habits and economy but 

 little is known ; the Australian member is perhaps the most 

 beautiful of the whole. 



Sp. 291. CALORNIS METALLICA. 



Shining Calornis. 



Lamprotornis metallicus, Temm. PI. Col. 266. 



Calornis metallica, Gray, Gen. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 327, Calornis, sp. 2. 



Mooter, Goodang tribe of Aborigines at Cape York. 



Aplonis metallica, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol.. Supplement, pi. 



This species inhabits the northern portion of Australia, New 

 Guinea, Timor, the Celebes, Amboyna, and New Ireland. 



Mr. Macgillivray has obligingly furnished me with the 

 following interesting account of its habits and nidification : — 



" During the early part of our last sojourn at Cape York, 

 this bird was often seen passing rapidly over the tops of the 

 trees in small flocks of a dozen or more. In their flight they 

 reminded me of the Starlings, and, like them, made a chattering 

 noise while on the wing. One day a native took me to a 

 breeding-place in the centre of a dense scrub, where I found 

 a gigantic cotton-tree standing alone, with its branches 

 literally hung with the pensile nests of the bird : the nests, 

 averaging two feet in length and one in breadth, are of a 

 somewhat oval form, slightly compressed, rounded below and 

 above, tapering to a neck, by the end of which they arc 

 suspended; the opening is situated in the centre of the 

 widest part ; they arc almost entirely composed of portions of 



