26 Banfield, Metallic Starlings. [isf'juiy 



A recent contributor to an English review, in an article on the 

 Starling, was inclined to wonder " whether they do not possess 

 some strange occult sense of organization which in the long 

 process of evolution may carry them higher and higher in the scale 

 of creation." That Metallic Starlings do benefit by the laws of 

 community there can be no doubt ; but their socialistic habits, on 

 the other hand, appear to invite the raids of snakes and Hawks. 

 It has not been uncommon this season to find a Grey Falcon in 

 possession of the nestful tree, while all the adult birds have 

 crowded into one close by, whence, with whimpering remonstrances, 

 they have watched the enemy of their race, who does not appear 

 to have wit enough to raid such shrewdly-domed nests. The 

 Falcon generally seizes its prey on the wing, though I have heard 

 of one accomplished grey burglar which was wont to tear open 

 nests with its talons. 



In addition to being transport agents, these Starlings are among 

 the living jewels of the bush. To watch a dozen simultaneously 

 swoop into a native cabbage [Sccevola koenigii) and dart out again 

 in a few seconds, each with a fruit in its beak, and slip arrow-like 

 through the forest, is a pretty experience. The slim, jet-black, 

 iridiscent bodies, the red and gleaming eyes, the milk-white fruit, 

 and impetuous, level flight, fulfil a scheme of colour and exhibition 

 of speed which are not the least among the wonders of the tropical 

 bush. 



Breeding Habits of White Tern (Gygis alba) 

 on Kermadec Group. 



By R. S. Bell. 



{Communicated by W . R. Oliver, R.A.O.U., Auckland, N.Z.) 

 White Terns begin to arrive at Sunday Island usually about the 

 first week in September, but they are most irregular in their time 

 of arrival and date of laying. For instance, I may mention that 

 a half-fledged young one was found on 29th November, igo8, while, 

 during the same season, the last new-laid egg found was on loth 

 January, 1909. The Terns are found in small colonies or in 

 single pairs here and there along the east, south, and south-west 

 coasts of the island. They are not found on any of the outlying 

 rocks, nor, I believe, on any other island of the Kermadec Group. 

 The birds arrive, generally, in very small numbers at a time, 

 though large flocks, apparently just arrived, have sometimes been 

 seen. They settle almost at once on the trees in which they 

 eventually breed. These trees they apparently occupy during 

 the period of their stay, whether they breed or not. They 

 always perch in them during the heat of the day and camp in' 

 them by night. Many fall victims to cats, for it is quite common 

 to find three or four pairs (on one occasion as many as eight) 

 mangled at the roots of a tree. These birds are very active 

 morning and evening, when they may be seen gliding among the 



