74



Weka or Wood-hen, Tui, Pied Fantail, Grey Warbler, Kingfisher and More-

pork or Common Owl.


The Grey Duck (Anas superciliosa) usually breeds in similar situations

to those selected by our own Wild Duck, but, like that species, sometimes

departs from its natural habit and builds its nest high up on a tree-stump,

or in some dense creeper. One photo, illustrates the nest of this species in

a“Ghia ghia, r ’ twelve feet from the ground; and another shows the

photographer ascending a tree to a Grey Ducks’ nest fort} - feet from the

ground.


Two photos of the North-Island Woodhen’s or Weka’s nests are

given, and an interesting account of the nesting of this Rail is supplied,

from which we extract the following—


“ After making a number of bogus nests, the bird forms the proper one in the roots


of a big tree, some thick scrub, or in the middle of a niggerhead.The


Woodhen is a great thief in poultry yards, and displays much skill in sucking an egg


without wasting a drop of either white or yolk.But the Woodhen does


not interfere with other Woodhens’ eggs. It lays from three to five in a cosy structure

nearly always built of cutty-grass.”


The New Zealand Kingfisher (Halcyon vagans) is so closely allied to

the Sacred Kingfisher (H. sa/icta) of Australia (see Vol. VI. page 117) that

authorities differ as to whether the two are really distinct. A rotten tree-

stump is shown in the photograph, containing a number of holes, similar

to those made by Woodpeckers, and the following account is given—


“ The birds, in making the nest, dig the wood away with their beaks, and form a

tunnel two or three inches long. This tunnel enlarges as it enters the nest-chamber, to

three or four inches in diameter, and on the floor the bird deposits her eggs among a

few chips of rotten wood. From two to seven eggs are laid, which are pure white and

almost round. The birds show great alarm when anyone approaches their nest,

perching near, and crying until the intruders have gone away. The young ones are

exceptionally ugly, even for young birds, having large beaks in proportion to their

size, and very short legs.”



CORRESPONDENCE.



VARIOUS NOTES AND QUERIES.


Sir,—S ome years ago, Mr. Babb of the Crystal Palace informed me

that be had heard that Blue Budgerigars sometimes resulted from crossing

Yellows with Greens. Have any of our members ever tried the experiment ?


A gentleman once told me that he had bred a pair of albino Yellow

Budgerigars—very pale Yellows with red eyes. And that he had crossed

the Mealy willi the Common Rosella. And an instance of a white Vasa

Parrot (I forget whether Greater or Lesser Vasa) also has been mentioned

to me. Have any of our readers met with either of these experiences, and

would the hybrid Rosellas be fertile ?


Not only was there a Blackbird-Thrush hybrid at the Palace Show,

but one was likewise exhibited at the Aquarium. I should be glad if any of

our members who visited these Shows would kindly give us a description of

the bird.


I have just read, in some Natural History Notes, that a flock of



