194 m i.i.etin: misfa'm of co>ji'auative zoology. 



The species does not seem to \m\v l)een recorded from the Cook 

 Ishinds before and though it is known from the Paumotu Islands 

 apparently none have been collected previously on Rangiroa. Careful 

 comparison of the series from tiie tiiree localities represented reveals 

 no differences in coloration but there are some slight differences 

 evident in size. Two males from Aitutake average smaller than 

 males from Bora Bora, Society Islands. ]\Iales from Rangiroa are 

 likewise smaller than those from Bora Bora. From the present series 

 however, it does not appear that these differences merit distinction 

 by name. 



Average measurements are as follows (in millimeters) : — 



4cftf Rangiroa 109.7 68.3 10.2 14.3 



Females are represented from Aitutaki only. Four have the average 

 wing measurement 104.9, tail 65.4, culmen from cere 9.4 and tarsus 

 14.6. 



CUCLXIDAE. 

 45. Urodtn.\mis taitensis taitensis (Sparrman). 



Cuculus taitensis Spamnan, Mus. Carlson., fasc. 2, 1787, 32, pi. 32. (Tahiti). 



An adult (sex not determined) was shot on Funafuti in the EUice 

 Group, 24 December. This cuckoo is said to be resident in both 

 the Ellice and Gilbert Islands. In the latter group there are no other 

 land birds, and in the Ellice Islands a pigeon is the only land bird 

 known other than the cuckoo, so that there has been considerable 

 speculation as to in what way this species practiced its parasitic habit 

 of foisting its eggs upon other species for incubation and the rearing 

 of its young. Concerning this the following observations by Mr. 

 Swayne are of interest: — "In August last year I was at the Island of 

 Xiu, in the Ellice Group, and while walking through the island along 

 with the local trader we passed a clump of 'buka' trees, in which, as 

 is common throughout the Ellice Islands, there were numbers of the 

 Noddies (Anous stoUdus) nesting. I noticed that in one tree the birds 

 were much disturbed and apparently frightened. The trader explained 



