OOLOGY OF NEW ZEALAND, 477 
the zeal of naturalists, namely, in what manner is the ege deposited? 
Various authorities might be quoted as to the habits of other species 
of cuckoos, but as yet, in this particular act, the habit of the koe-koea 
has escaped observation. I should call attention to a fact that may 
have some bearing on this secret in natural history, by pointing out 
the numbers of torn nests of the warbler (Gerygone) that one has met 
with. Some, indeed many of these, have bcen so situated, as to 
render it highly improbable that the damage had been effected by a 
cat; is it not possible that this destruction has been caused by 
cuckoos of either species in their endeavours to avail themselves of 
the use of such nests? The damaged nests of the warbler (Gerygone) 
are more common than the torn nests of any other species of the 
native passerine order which have come under notice. I have notes 
of the young being fed by warblers from the coast line to vallies and 
riverbeds far to the west that le secluded amongst the highlands of 
the Southern Alps. December and January have been the months 
that have afforded more frequent opportunities of observing the 
young thus attended and cared for. Dec. 17th, i871, a young one 
was observed in a garden in Christchurch attended and fed by 
warblers. Dec. 22nd another specimen was noticed as far to the 
west in the back country as between the river Potts and Craig Phillips, 
in the upper Rangitata district. Jan. 2nd, 1856, one was seen ina 
Fagus wood in the Malvern district. Jan. 11th, 1870, another in the 
Ashburton riverbed beneath Mt. Somers, &c., &e. An egg, from the 
Wellington museum, is nearly round in shape, with the surface rough, 
of a dull pale buff colour ; it measures one inch three lines in length, 
with a breadth of an inch and one and a-half lines. 
Genus—Chrysococcyx. 
45. Chrysococcyx lucidus, Gmal. 
Whistler, Bronze-winged Cuckoo, Pipiwarauroa.—This annual 
visitor, the harbinger of the warm season, usually makes its appear- 
ance here about the second week in October, generally on or about 
the 8th day of that month. In some years it is far more abundant 
than in others, for instance, in the summers of 1878-9 it appeared in 
considerable numbers; whilst in 1883-4 it was by no means of 
common occurrence. The breeding season beginning in October is 
not over before February. The following extracts from my note-book 
of observations extending through several years, will afford some 
information concerning its breeding habits as well as those of its 
dupes. Found an egg of this cuckoo in a nest with eggs of the dupe 
as under :— 
Oct. 28, in a nest of G. flaviventris, with 2 eggs of the dupe. 
Nov. 1, 99 9 1 29 
2, bP) 29 1 bb) 
6, 9) be 3 b>] 
2 it, 3) be) 3 33 
21, bb) 33 3 99 
21, 4 Z. lateralis, 3 BY ? 
23, * G. flaviventris, 1 us 
27, 3) bP) 2 3 
Dee. 15, “ is 1 it 
5, 9 33 3 
