DBurrER.— Replies to Hutton's Notes. ' 129 
[Mr. A. H. Garrod, in his exhaustive account of the anatomy of this bird 
(Proc. Zool. Soc., 1872, pp. 643—7 ) States that the tongue is “slightly bifid 
at its apex, and a little prolonged backwards at its lateral borders.” 
“ HALCYON VAGANS. 
* I have never known an instance of this bird catching fish ; like the rest 
of the genus it subsists entirely on insects and crustaceans.” 
[Captain Hutton is quite mistaken on this point. I have myself observed 
our bird catching fish in the manner described ; and Mr. Potts, who is known 
to be a very accurate observer, states that “fish and crustacea furnish some 
portion of its food supply " (Trans. N.Z. Inst, 1869, Vol IL, р. 53). Nor 
do “the rest of the genus subsist entirely on insects and crustaceans.” 
Dr. Jerdon states that Halcyon smyrnensis catches fish, *for which it some- 
times dives,” and that Halcyon pileata “feeds both on fish and insects.” 
Halcyon gularis is said to be a fish-eater; and Mr. Motley declares that 
Halcyon coromanda “ subsists entirely on fish." Dr. von Heugtin states that 
Halcyon semicerulea is ** more of a fish-eater than fond of Orthoptera,” and that 
Haleyon chloris likewise habitually fishes. To come nearer home, I may add 
that Mr. E. P. Ramsay, of Sydney, records that he has watched Haleyon 
sanctus “ catching flies from the surface of the water, and occasionally a stray 
fish or two.” 
* PROSTHEMADERA NOV.E-ZEALANDLE. 
“The bird described and figured as young must.surely be а variety. 
I have seen several young specimens, but none of them had a white crescent 
on the throat." 
[The young figured in my work is from a specimen in the British Museum. 
My artist has somewhat exaggerated the white, and given it too much of a 
crescent form. I must refer the reader to my description of the young 
(“ Birds of New Zealand,” p. 88), where this feature is specially mentioned.] 
* ANTHORNIS MELANURA. 
* Dr. Buller is certainly in error in saying that this bird is dying out all 
over New Zealand, for it is one of the commonest of birds in the South Island, 
and can be seen in almost every garden. The district in which it is all but 
exterminated corresponds far better with the district thickly inhabited by 
Maoris than with the distriet thickly inhabited by Миз decumanus. I have 
néver observed any bright-coloured feathers in its nest." 
[The extensive wooded district lying between Whangarei and the North 
Cape is not inhabited by Maoris at all, and Captain Hutton's argument there- 
fore fails. Dr. Hector, who made a geological survey of this district in 1868, 
did not meet with a single Anthornis, whereas formerly these birds existed 
there in thousands! As Captain Hutton has “never observed any bright- 
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