-/-.- : ^ ■".-:-'. ■■--'" -\- 2 -.-~ r -':- 





Order COBACIIFOKMES.] 



[Family ALCEDINIDiE. 



HALCYON VAGANS. 



(NEW ZEALAND KINGEISHEE.) 



Halcyon vagans (Lesson), Buller, Birds of New Zealand, vol, i., p. 121. 



I have already placed on record many observations showing the predatory character of our 

 Kingfisher. The following note received from Captain H. F. Way is only another count in 

 the indictment: " Whangamata, November 22nd. — The other day, while I was waiting at the 

 entrance of a drive for my mate to turn up (7 a.m.), I noticed a lot of Blight-birds {Zoster ops) 

 flying about a tree; then I heard a strange noise — 'whack- whack- whack.' At first I could not 

 make out where the noise came from — another 'whack.' Presently I saw a Kingfisher sitting 

 on the branch of a tree with something in his beak. Then came a rapid succession of whacks 

 — first to the right, then to the left— and I noticed something flying about in the air. Then I 

 made out that he had a Blight-bird in his beak, and was a-whacking the poor little beggar on 

 the branch to get rid of the feathers. As fast as he got rid of the feathers so he kept on 

 swallowing the bird, and the last thing I saw of the latter was his legs protruding from the 

 Kingfisher's beak. The most singular thing was the vigour with which the Kingfisher struck 

 his victim against the branch — generally three whacks on each side and then a rest, and so 

 on to the end." 



The following paragraph appeared in the Bangitikei Advocate : " A Paraekaretu farmer, 

 who had unaccountably lost several hives of bees, at length discovered that the losses were due to 

 a Kingfisher, which, on being killed, was found to have its crop full of bees." 



I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. Taylor White, of Hawke's Bay, for a lovely 

 specimen of this bird. It is a perfect albino, every feather being of the purest white, and 

 the whiteness extending even to the bill and feet.* 



I have noticed that this bird never builds a nest except in such a position that there is a 

 bough within a few yards to serve as a resting place. It follows that suitable localities are 

 often rejected because of the absence of this accommodation. 



As showing the adaptability of birds to circumstances, Mr. McLean reports that in 

 January, 1884, he took a nest of this Kingfisher from the cut side of an old haystack into 

 which the bird had tunnelled in the same manner as it does in a sandy bank. 



There is no doubt that the Kingfisher, when it has the opportunity, preys on small birds. 

 Mr. J. W. Hall, of Auckland, records an instance of seeing one of these birds holding a live 

 Zosterops in his bill which he was battering to death against the branch of a tree. 



At Papaitonga, on February 22nd, young birds were just out of the nest but fully fledged, 

 and making a continual rasping cry. 



At Levuka, Fiji, I saw a Kingfisher, presumably H. sacer, looking very different from 

 H. vagans, even at a distance, having paler under-parts. 



* There seems no limit to the number of species in New Zealand exhibiting signs of albinism. I have recorded 

 albinos more or less complete in the case of no less than forty-one of our native species. And the curious thing 

 is that this extraordinary tendency extends itself to the introduced birds, which appear to produce albinos far more 

 frequently than in any other part of the world. An interesting and suggestive article on this subject, from the pen of 

 Mr. W. W. Smith, appeared in the Field newspaper of 1890, pp. 891-2. 

 Vol. ii .— 13 







