408 APPENDIX. 



HALCYON VAGANS, Lesson. 

 (Var. nor/olkiensis, Tristram.) 

 Norfolk Island Elagfi.sh.er. 

 Tristram, Ibis, 1885, p. 49. 



Dr. Metcalfe states that this bird breeds during September 

 and the two following months, excavating with its powerful bill 

 a tunnel from eight to twelve inches in length in the side of a 

 bank or in the trunk of a tree fern, at the extremity of which a 

 small chamber is formed, and the eggs laid either on the bare soil 

 or soft pulverised dtJbris. The eggs are four or five in number for 

 a sitting, rounded in form, and pearly-white, the texture of the 

 shell being fine and glossy. An egg taken on the 17th December, 

 1889, measures 1*01 x 0-85 inch; another taken the day after 

 measures 1'05 x 0-9 inch ; while a third specimen taken on 27th 

 December, 1887, is not quite so rounded, and measures 1"1 xO'88 

 inch. 



ffab. Norfolk Islands. 



SYMMORPHUS LEUCOPYGIUS, Gould. 

 Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1837, p. 145. 



This species was found breeding by Dr. Metcalfe during the 

 month of September. In its mode of nidification and the number 

 and colour of its eggs, it closely approaches that of the genus 

 Lalage, the nest being a round shallow structure, outwardly 

 composed of mosses, lichens, and fibrous roots, lined inside with 

 similar material of a finer description. The eggs are two in 

 number for a sitting, oval in form, compressed slightly towards 

 the thinner end, of a pale green ground colour slightly tinged 

 with grey, with thick irregular shaped longitudinal markings of 

 different shades of olive-brown, and a few minute freckles 

 scattered over the surface of the shell, on the larger end several 

 nearly obsolete markings of dull bluish-grey appear. Length 

 0-88 X 0-67 inch. 



Hah. Norfolk Island, 



