Tue ZooLtocist—June, 1872. 3089 
on the part of the bird, and a determination not to forsake a tree which it 
had instinctively selected as a suitable one for its operations. In two 
instances, however, I have known the kingfisher to adopt an existing 
hollow in a partially decayed kahikatea tree, dispensing altogether with the 
labour of boring and forming it. The nestling of this species is a very 
curious object. On bursting from the shell, it presents the following 
appearance: the abdomen, as in most young birds, is perfectly bare ; on the 
other parts each feather is encased in a sharp-pointed sheath of a grayish 
colour, closely studded, and bristling like the quills of a porcupine. Before 
the young bird quits the nest, the sheathings gradually burst, exposing the 
true feathers in all their brilliancy; vestiges, however, of this spiny condi- 
tion, adhere to the fore parts of the head for several days after the birds 
have quitted their cell. On being alarmed or excited, the young kingfisher 
utters a prolonged rasping cry, sounding very harsh to the ear. The parent 
birds are very fierce when their nest is molested, darting into the face of 
the intruder, and flying off again, with a loud, quickly repeated note of 
alarm. In the Canterbury province, where timber is scarce, it more fre- 
quently burrows a hole in a bank, and often near the sea beach. On 
examining one of these holes Mr. Potts observed that the bottom inclined 
slightly upwards from the entrance, and that the eggs were deposited on a 
layer of crustacean remains about a foot from the outside. The exuvie 
within the nest consisted of mud, with numerous remains of Crustacea and 
the wings of coleopterous insects."—P. 70. 
The illustrations in the first number, the only one yet published, 
are excellently drawn by Mr. Keulemans, who always aims at the 
representation of living birds rather than the conventional attitudes 
of birdstuffers’ specimens. They are well coloured by hand, and 
thus the work is rendered as ornamental as it is useful. I have 
only to add that I cordially recommend the ‘ History of the Birds 
of New Zealand’ to the readers of the ‘ Zoologist, and that I 
sincerely wish it every success. 
Epwarp NEwmMay. 
Notes on the Birds of New Zealand. By T. H. Ports, Esq. 
(Concluded from Zool. 8. 8. 3056.) 
Weka or Wood-hen (Ocydromus australis, Sparrm).—The 
history of the weka, the wood-hen of the settlers, is not yet 
complete; there exist varieties which are marked, although orni- 
thologists might object to class them as distinct species. 
Whilst camping in one of the gorges of the Rangitata, a very 
striking variety used to visit the tent constantly ; the individuals of 
