GENERAL NOTES. 397 
14, 7’. helmsi, u.sp.—Greymouth (Helms.) 
Hydrostygnus, n.gen. 
15. H. brount, n.sp.—Tairua (Broun.) 
16. ZH. linst n.sp.—Near Greymouth (Lins.) 
17. Cyloma lawsonus, Sharp. . Auckland district. 
18. C. thomsonus, n.sp.—Dunedin (G. M. Thomson.) 
19. C. guttulatus, n.sp.—Greymouth (Helms). 
Adolpus, n.gen. 
20. A. helmsi, n.sp.—Common in Greymouth district (Helms,) 
21. A. (Cyloma) altulus, Broun. Auckland district. 
22. Cyclonotum marginale Sharp. About Auckland. 
23. Cercyon (Spheridium) flavipes, Fab. This well-known Euro- 
pean insect has no doubt been introduced into New Zealand 
in company with cattle or sheep, in whose dung it occurs. 
It is probably common in the islands at present, as I have 
seen several examples from Auckland and Greymouth. 
Phelerosus, n.gen.—Closely allied to Berosus. 
24. P. pallidipennis, n.sp.—Dunedin (Thomson) ; Greymouth, 
(Helms.) 
ANECDOTE OF A Hawk.—The following account of a hawk 
(Circus gouldi) carrying a domestic fowl’s egg may be of interest to 
your readers. It is the first instance I have come across myself of their 
having this habit:—-While riding on January 29th, I saw a common 
hawk flying towards me, low down, carrying something white, I could 
not see distinctly at the time whether in its mouth or not, but the 
upper mandible was certainly clear, and not touching the white object. 
While wondering what the bird could be carrying, I saw it suddenly fly 
closer to the ground, and the object drop from it into the grass, the 
hawk immediately settling down toit. I then guessed that while in 
the air the bird had felt the object getting insecure—probably from 
twisting its head to keep an eye on me,—and had tried to gaiu the 
earth, but had not been quick enough to prevent its burden from falling. 
I tied my horse to a fence, and made my way across the field, when the 
hawk rose and took flight. I was greatly surprised to find that the 
object he had been carrying was a hen’s egg. Having fallen on grass, 
it was uninjured, so I took it home and blew it, when it proved to be 
two or three weeks old. I could find no marks of the bird’s mandibles 
on the egg, and I do not think a hawk could open its beak sufficiently 
wide to hold an egg, I am therefore convinced that it was carrying the 
egg by compressing it gently against its breast with the lower mandible 
of its beak, and intended taking it to its nest to feed its young, and if 
not disturbed, it wculd have taken up the egg again and carried it home. 
It took me two or three minutes to cross the field, so that the bird had 
ample time to break into and consume the egg, if such were its design. 
This is the second case I have had which leads me to believe that birds 
can carry eggs in this manner, At Orari the woodhens used to steal 
and suck the fowls eggs, and I have found china nest-eggs, which in 
their innocence they have mistaken for the real article, in a field several 
hundred yards away from the fowls enclosure, the woodhens having 
evidently found them too hard even for their digestion. I now feel sure 
that they must have carried them in this manner.—W. E. Barker, 
Waikonini, Rangitata, 4th March, 1885. 
