226 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
nest. They are nearer round rather than broadly oval in shape, 
pure white, measuring one inch nearly six lines, with a breadth 
of one inch three lines. The breeding season extends through 
December and January in this district. 
Athene albifacies, Gray. 
Screech-owl, Laughing Jackass, Whekau. The dismal screech 
of this owl is better known inland than on the coast. Its curious 
call or cry has been the cause why settlers have conferred on it the 
name of Laughing Jackass. Although in this island it enjoys a 
considerable range, it is far more restricted in that respect than its 
smaller and more familiar congener. It is now over thirty years 
since I noted my first interview with this strange-looking bird ; it 
was at Rockwood, in the Malvern district. As there is a theory 
that the Whekau depended for a considerable part of its subsist- 
ence on the presence of the Kiore, or native rat, I may say that at 
the time mentioned the Kiore abounded near Rockwood ; one of 
the sports of the boys was to thrust a flower-stalk of Spaniard 
erass (Aciphylla) into a rat hole in order to turn it out. Up the 
Hororata stream, west of Rockwood, stand some remarkable 
rocks, a mass of which, from the peculiarity of its outlines, was 
called Cherub’s Rock. In those days often at night some most 
dismal shrieks proceeded thence, doubtless from Whekaus ; this 
wailing was said by the settlers to be from the Cherubs. Years 
afterwards these rocks were explored ; in one hole was found a 
quantity of castings, which probably were those of the Whekau. 
At one time it was to be found also in the Kakahu forest, near 
Arowhenua. Mr. W. W. Smith wrote me he had found its 
nesting-place at Albury, and had taken the old birds and eggs ; 
that the birds had nested in confinement. Through Mr. C. 
Richardson I am enabled to describe an egg taken early in 
January. It is nearly spherical, white, smooth, measuring one 
inch ten lines in length with a breadth of one inch seven lines. 
The nesting-place was found in a hole in a limestone cliff at 
Albury on the bank of the river Tengawai. There were two 
eggs incubated, and both of the old birds were at home. The 
hole was above three feet deep, and contained a small quantity 
of dry tussock grass.. Another breeding station was on the 
Opuha, in South Canterbury. 
(To be continued.) 
ON A DECADE OF NEW FERONIIDA.* 
BY CAPT, BROUN. 
<> 
No. 1634.—Tvichosternus evythropus, n.sp.—Like T. fulton’, more 
slossy aeneous, legs red; the tibial spiniform bristles depressed 
and flexible. 
Length, 82; breadth, 34 lines. 
—_——_— 
* Abstract 0° paper read before the Auckland Institute on June 9, 1884, 
