Avifmma of New Caledonia. 52] 



we used to watch them in the darkening twilight chasing the 

 benighted locusts aud night-flying insects^ turning somer- 

 saults in the air, tumbling over and twisting about in every 

 direction with extreme agility. 



In the forest they are rarely seen singly, generally in pairs, 

 and often five or six together. They are very inquisitive ; and 

 if one espies a person walking through the bush, he instantly 

 flies towards him uttering his warning " wa-wa," when he is 

 sure to be joined by one or two more, who come to look at 

 and scold the intruder. 



Their usual flight more resembles that of the Jay than the 



Crow, being performed in undulations. They construct a 



platform of sticks for a nest in a moderately high tree, and 



lay usually two eggs (September to November), which are 



very Crow-like, pale bluish green, profusely marked, most 



thickly at the obtuse end, with grey -brown spots and rather 



small blotches of unequal size and shape ; axis 1" 6'", diam. 

 iw iiii 



Total length of fresh-killed male 15", wing 9" &", tail 7", 

 tarse 2", bill 1" 9'". Female usually smaller than male. Bill, 

 legs, and feet black ; iris dark drab. 



Moindou, 20th November. — Our young friends today led 

 us to a tree in the forest not far from the house, where a 

 curious sight presented itself. The ground was heaped up 

 for many yards round with the shells of a fine Bulimus [B. 

 cicatricosus) , for which we have been seeking, almost in vain, 

 during our whole visit here. They were evidently the col- 

 lection of a few weeks only, being so fresh and brightly 

 coloured ; some, indeed, were probably only eaten that 

 morning, and excited our envy and wrath. Every shell was 

 broken and the animal entirely cleaned out by the Crows, 

 who used a projecting hard root for their '' chopping-block.''^ 

 The root was worn away to a considerable depth ; and over it, 

 high up in the tree, Avas a bare branch, from which our friends 

 assured us they had seen the Crows drop the snails till they 

 smashed them on it. They said they believed the spot was 

 visited by every Crow in the district ; and, seeing the accu- 

 mulation of shells, we can well believe it. We suspect the 



