Avifauna of New Caledonia. 495 



Such, then, is the character of the island, as far as we know 

 it. Its avifauna is very limited. We can but enumerate, 

 positively, ninety-six species, including Waders and sea-fowl. 

 Of these, thirty-six, strictly land-birds, are peculiar to the 

 island — namely two Raptores, thirty-two land-birds'^, and 

 two Rails (the singular Rhinochetus jubatus and Eulabeornis 

 lafresnayanus). Forty-nine species are common to the island 

 and Australia, viz. six Raptores, five land-birds (viz. the 

 Kingfisher, two Cuckoos, one Pigeon, and a doubtful Quail), 

 and the remaining thirty-eight are Waders and water-birds. 

 Thirteen species are common to the island, Australia, and the 

 New Hebrides, viz. four Raptores, three land-birds (including 

 one Kingfisher, one Cuckoo, and one Pigeon), and six Waders 

 &c. Twenty-two species are common to the island, Australia, 

 and Fiji, viz. one Raptor (the widely spread Strix delica- 

 tula), two Cuckoos (one of which is even doubtful), and the 

 remaining nineteen are Waders &c. Nine species are com- 

 mon to this and the neighbouring islands of the New He- 

 brides only, viz. three Swiftlets, the Swallow, one^Parrot, one 

 Pigeon, an Artamus, that curious and rare bird Clytorhynchus 

 pachycephaloides, and a doubtful species {Graucalus cine- 

 reus ?) that may prove distinct. Of these, the Swifts, Swallow 

 Parrot, and Pigeon have a vast range up to the northward ; 

 the Swallow, by the way, extends to Fiji, so should perhaps 

 be omitted. 



It will thus be seen that the large majority of the land- 

 birds are peculiar to the country, though they are nearly all 

 allied to, and representatives of, Australian forms. Of the 

 sea-fowl, all are common to the Australian seas, and but few 

 extend to the New Hebrides. 



It is strange that our treeless grass-covered hills should 

 hold no Larks and only one seed-eating bird, the little Ery- 

 thrura psittacea or Red-headed Finch. This is also equally at 

 home, if not more so, in the forest ; and the only real grass- 

 haunter is the solitary Meyalurulus mariei. Our Quail may 

 be an introduction ; and it is very rare. 



* By "land-birds" we mean all speciea not Raptores, Waders, or 

 water-birds. 



