10 LORD HOWE ISLAND. 



Aplonis fuscus, representing the Starlings, is both one of the most 

 plentiful, and at the same time destructive birds, playing great havoc in the 

 settlers' gardens during the fruit season. The genus Aplonis is a peculiarly- 

 Oceanic one, being met with in the southern part of New Guinea, Fiji, the 

 New Hebrides, and Solomon Islands, but is represented in Australia by the 

 allied genus Calornis.* Although frequenting the smaller and lower trees, 

 it undoubtedly loves high branches and elevated positions. A. fuscus is 

 easily tamed, and forms a lively pleasurable companion. 



The musical honours amongst the birds of Lord Howe are carried off 

 by the so-called Magpie, Strepera crissalis, Sharpe, whose note, although not 

 by any means as melodious as some of the magpies of the mainland, is not 

 unpleasant. The bird is another of those peculiar to Lord Howe, and is 

 very plentiful, especially at this season of the year, in the higher regions and 

 retired deeper gullies of the south end. Young birds make fair eating. 



Philipp Island, an outlier of Norfolk Island, was inhabited by a parrot, 

 Nestor productus, Gould, so Lord Howe Island was similarly infested in 

 former years by a parrakeet,of which there is not the slightest trace remaining. 

 The existence of the bird in question is mentioned by Mr. A. T. Corrie, in the 

 paper previously quoted, but we are indebted for a general description of it 

 to Mrs. Thomas Nichols and Mr. Mosely. They described the parrakeet 

 as generally of a green colour with a red patch on the head, at the base of 

 the bill ; red under, and a little blue along the edge of the wing. These 

 characters accord fairly well with those of some Platycerci, especially species 

 inhabiting New Zealand ; in fact, there is good reason to conjecture that 

 it may have been either Platycereus novce-zelandice, or P. auriceps, but as 

 no mention was made of any yellow feathers the bird was most probably the 

 former species, more especially as this is recorded as occurring at Norfolk 

 Island.f The parrakeet is said to have existed in very large numbers, doing 

 considerable damage to the crops, and to have gradually disappeared about 

 ten years ago. This would correspond with the date of Mr. Corrie's obser- 

 vations. Even before this, in 1870, it must have been very scarce, for 

 we find Mr. E. S. Hill observing, " The paraquet also was a nuisance to the 

 cultivators, once appearing in flocks ; now I saw but a solitary pair in their 

 rapid flight through the foliage, and recognized them only by their peculiar 

 noise. "J 



Of the Cuckoos, two species have been met with, but they are rare. We 

 obtained Cuculus inornatus ; and Chalcites lucidus, Gml., the Bronze Cuckoo, 

 is quoted by Dr. Ramsay. The latter bird has been caught at sea, between 

 Lord Howe Island and New Zealand, doubtless whilst migrating from the 

 latter to the former island. 



The Columbidae are now represented on Lord Howe Island by one species 

 only — the Chalcopliaps chrysoclora, Wagl., a representative of the Gouridae, 

 or ground pigeons. This is an elegant and gentle bird, is found in all thick 

 low timber on the flats and bases of the hill flanks, and is easily traced by 

 its low plaintive note. It is so tame that the settlers are in the habit of 

 catching it with the hand snare. In former years other varieties of pigeons 

 must have existed in numbers for Mr. Eitzgerald remarks that, " a large 

 pigeon is remembered, but has become extinct."§ The common " Rock " 

 has been introduced and established itself ; it is, however, as wild in its 

 habits and difficult of approach as the Chalcopliaps is gentle and tame. 



* Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc, N. S. Wales, 1883, vn, pt. 1., p. 89. 

 t Buller, Manual of the Birds of New Zealand, 1882, p. 34. 

 X Hill's Lord Hoive Island, loc. cit., p. 46. 

 § Hill's Lord Howe, Island, loc. cit., p. 38. 



