126 
layer of crustacean remains about a foot from the outside. The exuvue within the nest 
of mud, with numerous remains of Crustacea and the wings of coleopterous insects . 
The e~s are generally five in number, sometimes six, broadly oval in form, and measuring 1 - i 
by -95 They are of the purest white, with a smooth or polished surface, and very fragile in textuie , 
sometimes the shell is marked by minute limy excrescences at the larger end. 
In the British Museum collection there is a specimen from Norfolk Island (marked Halcyon 
o fmc fa 3 ) which is undoubtedly referable to II. vat/ans. 
Z ‘The Ibis • (1880, p. 459) Mr. Layard described a new Kingdsher from the Solomon Islands 
in me V ’ v r K c) -; T1 o-niqhable from H. mhce, II. chloris, 
under the name of Halcyon tnstrami, stating that it was distinguishable J ’ h 
and H. sancta by the well-marked supercilium and the rich colour of *e underpin 
respects, he said, it exactly accords with H. vayans from New Zealand. • ■ altogeth er 
pointed out (Free. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. vol. vi. p. 833) that Layard’s descr.pt n does not a together 
agree with the coloured figure which accompanied it. Canon Tristram states 
the type of H. tnstrami has “ no occipital patch whatever and seems o 
H. vayans than from any other of the group.” In reference to this Mr. Sharpe remarks (Couid^ 
‘Birds of New Guinea’):—' ‘We cannot understand why Canon Instiam shou ) 
resemblance of B. tnstrami and It. vayam." He expresses a doubt whether theb«d exis^ a 
the Solomon eroup, all the examples in the British Museum having come from New Butain 
adds r p andT dot* citr; tri. uz ^ 
there' is a Tongan specimen of II. sacra (from the collection of Sir E Home, Bart.) in * 1C 
s unite as lar»e the upper surface full, as bright, and the nape-patch as distinct as in H tnstrami , 
1 ruTae unteparts! as well as the nuchal collar, are perfectly white. On the other band a 
. ° n( jt agms (brought bv H.M.S. 1 Herald ’ from Raoul Island), albeit a comparative y 
young'bird, is as highly coloured in'every respect as ordinary examples of II. tnstrami, although it is 
appreciably smaller in all its dimensions. 
, „ , • „ t0 „„ Meeting account of its ne, ting-habit. in the ‘ Birds of New Zealand > (let ci), I may mention 
* . f01 , 'building in close association in a cla, hank, and that on one occasion I counted ten pair, 
that I have <«“ 4 „ a ^ ri m„. I have ucv.r found more tha. five egg. in a nestf-Greato Mam. 
boring in the st,n<hngt,»k of „ righbourh.ed (O.maru) b, digging out a hole in a da, bank. A tuund i, driven 
“ : 7 T , “ I twelve inch.. , at the end of this a round hole, live inches in diameter and two m depth, „ formed, 
horizontally ml. the bank for twd ^ ^ „„ „„„ &ur or to in a nest, and the rueubahen Wro, nineteen 
aud her, the bc.ut.fnl white > P »,e„eh is experienced at the mouth of the nest, owing to the nature of the feed 
d„s. After the young m ^ ^ ^ j c „ ght „ „,„l t bir d in the vinery, where rt appeared 
supplied to them, eon-tog « “ "» ' ^ hmd „ he „ captured, and uttered a loud discordant scream. >- 
to to testing the quality of the grape . 
w. w. Smith. Hrtoher 10th first egg laid in a nest on a cliff; second egg laid on the 12th 
- On a Kingfisher’s n^ 1 ; ^ 1 ® 00 ^^ ^ egg on ^ 15th; fifth egg on the 16th; sixth and last egg on the 17th. 
before 10 am. ; third egg laid o ’ , following- dimensions : entrance rather over two inches m diameter : 
Subsequently the nesti.g-pl.ee was meaa.red and g.™ 5 z io wi dth, with a height hem the bottom of 
tunnel sixteen inehes in length ; egg-chamber rfW ^ ^ M bj tke ^ bttl . roomy house 
4 inehes. The size of the nest may create surprise when «•**•« aI1 flmir wings are well grown.”- 
• is necessary, for, like those of most troglodytal breeders, the yonng remain m 
T. H. Potts. 
