and well aimed blows. On being checked from exercising hi.: ingenuity in 
this manner, he became sulky and refused to eat or offer his call of recog¬ 
nition when I approached him; in a day or two, however, he apparently thought 
better of the matter, resumed his labours on another spot, and fed as voraci¬ 
ously as ever, devouring huge slices of bananas, jungle fruits, the bodies 
of any small birds I skinned, &o, &c. I hoped he would have lived long 
with me, but, found him dead one morning, and as he was fat and well favoured 
I presumed he died a victim to the solitary system". 
The flight of the Kotoruwa is performed with quick beating of the wings, 
and is somewhat laboured, though by no means slow, owing to the amount of 
momentum which such a solid frame must naturally acquire. 
MIDIFICATION 
This bird breeds from March to July. The latter month Is rather late, I 
imagine, but at that time I found a nest with four young ones at Mlnery. 
It hollows out with its powerful bill a hole in a rotten tree just large 
enough to allow of its entering the egg cavity, which Is some distance down 
the trunk or branch. It does not use the same nest twice, out having found 
a tree with wood suited to Its work, perforates it each year for the new 
nest, as many as eight or ten holes being sometimes visible in a tree by a 
jungle road side. It is only when sounding-wood before making its nest 
that this bird taps with its bill, the blows being very slowly repeated, wit 
perhaps an interval of ten seconds between each. There are generally a few 
bents and grass stalks collected for the eggs to lie on, but scarcely worthy 
of the name of nest. 
The eggs are three or four in number, pure white, glossy, and rather 
round in shape; they measure about 1.1 by .9 inches. 
The upper figure In the drawing accompanying this article represents a 
male of the species from the Western Province* 
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