510 Messrs. E. L. & E. L. C. Layard on the 



forest aud scratcliiug under the trees among the fallen and 

 decaying leaves for grubs and larvse of all kinds. When 

 alarmed it darts away into the deep recesses of the woods 

 with the usual metallic " clinck-clinck-clinck " of the family. 

 We (E. L. L.) once heard one singing a low inward note, 

 reminding us of the song of the European bird heard from 

 afar. On shooting the bird we were surprised to find it 

 showed no signs of the breeding-o-TO/ay?;. It breeds appa- 

 rently from June till November, and perhaps later. Our 

 Moindou friends found a nest in September containing two 

 eggs. It was a cup-shaped structure of dried ferns, rootlets, 

 and leaves, placed at the root of a tree. The eggs exactly 

 resemble that of our European bird, verditer, profusely 

 marked with small blotchy irregular brown markings. Axis 

 14'", diam. 10'". 



In habits this species also resembles the European bird. 

 It has the same bold upright gait, the same flight, it has the 

 same yellow bill and legs, the iris being dark drab. Total 

 length 9" 3'", wing 4" 6'", tail 3" 7'", tarse 1" 4"', bill 1" 2"'. 



24. Artamus melaleucus (Forst.). 



The " Wood-Swallow " is not uncommon and generally 

 distributed, but not much found in the dense forest. It pre- 

 fers the more open thinly covered niaoulie lands. Here, from 

 the summit of some lofty dead and bare branch, it watches 

 for its prey, usually a Cicada, or, may be, a locust or some 

 other flying creature, which it chases in mid-air and captures 

 on the wing, sailing back again to its ''coin of vantage"^ in 

 graceful circles, with its wings outspread, the forked tail 

 slightly expanded, and exhibiting a striking resemblance to 

 the European House-Martin, the illusion being enhanced by 

 the conspicuous white rump. 



Young Boyer has just brought me three eggs down from 

 Moindou. They used to be rare there, but since the locusts 

 have taken up their residence there the birds have become 

 quite common, and breed in the hollow stems of the niaoulie 

 tree {Melaleuca viridiflora). Ground-colour creamy white, 

 generally spotted, with a tendency to form a ring at the 



