630 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



it contained several eggs, one nearly matured, and from the 

 state of the oviduct another must have been recently ex- 

 truded. Its habits seem to indicate that it is parasitic," and 

 this view is confirmed by Lady Dowling informing me that a 

 young specimen, kindly presented to me by her Ladyship, was 

 one of two taken from a branch of a tree while being fed by 

 birds not of its own species. 



In some notes on the habits of the Scythrojjs forwarded to 

 me by my friend Dr. Bennett, of Sydney, in June 1858, he 

 says: — "I have much pleasure in telling you that when the young 

 Scythrops was introduced into Mr. Denison's aviary it was 

 placed in a compartment already occupied by a Dacelo gigas, 

 and doubtless feeling hungry after its journey, immediately 

 opened its mouth to be fed, and its wants were readily at- 

 tended to by the Dacelo, who, with great kindness, took a piece 

 of meat, and, after sufficiently preparing it by beating it about 

 until it was in a tender and pappy state, placed it carefully in 

 the gaping mouth of the young Scgthrops ; this feeding process 

 continued until the bird was capable of attending to its own 

 wants, which it now does, feeding in company with the 

 Dacelo in the usual manner. When I saw it in the morning 

 it was perched upon the most elevated resting-place in the 

 aviary, occasionally raising itself, flapping its wings, and then 

 quietly settling down again after the manner of Hawks in 

 confinement, and presenting much the appearance of a mem- 

 ber of that tribe of birds. It comes do\vn for food every 

 morning, and immediately returns to its elevated perch. 

 Judging from what I saw of this specimen, I should imagine 

 that the bii'd might be readily tamed, and would bear con- 

 finement very well. In the young state it is destitute of the 

 scarlet orbits so conspicuous in the adult." 



I once possessed an egg sent me by Strange, which he 

 informed me was taken by himself from the ovarium after he 

 had shot the bird. It was of a light stone-colour, marked 

 all over, but particularly at the larger end, with irregidar 



