298 Mr. E. L. C. Layard’s Notes of a 
eges. The nest is the usual dome-shaped structure.of soft 
vegetable matter and cobwebs, hanging on a bare branch or 
small stick, sometimes close to the ground. 
NECTARINIA FRENATA. 
Observed in New Britain only. The eggs, two in a nest, 
are of a pale grey-brown, indistinctly mottled, very closely at 
the obtuse end, with a darker shade of brown; axis 7}!", 
diam. 6". 
HIRUNDO TAHITICA. 
Scarce. I found one nest on a ledge under an overhang- 
ing rock, made, as usual, of mud, the depression lined with 
feathers. This was during the last week in August, and the 
three eggs were just on the point of hatching. They are of 
a very pale pink ground-colour, generally spotted throughout 
with brown-madder spots, which run very thickly together, 
and form a ring at the greatest diameter. The only speci- 
mens procured are all more or less damaged in extracting 
the embryos, but measure about, axis 10", diam. 63!". 
CoLLOCALIA CINEREA. 
The common Swift of these seas; found throughout the 
New Hebrides, Solomon Islands, Duke-of-York group, and 
New Britain. 
DENDROCHELIDON MYSTACEA. 
Fond of perching on high dead branches of trees ; inter- 
spersed over the grass-country. The young, in a curious 
mottled white and brown plumage, were flying about during 
August. 
CaPRIMULGUS MACRURUS. 
Procured in Blanche Bay. None seen on the Duke-of- 
York Island. Lieut. Richards shot two species of Owls in 
Blanche Bay ; but Mr. Brown’s two native hunters and taxi- 
dermists assured me that neither Owls nor Caprimulgide were 
found in Duke-of-York Island, though common in New Ire- 
land and New Britain. 
HALcyon ALBICILLA. 
We did not find this handsome bird in New Britain, with 
