279 
M. F. Pollen on the Genus Oxynotus. 
Hitherto nothing is known of the manner of breeding of the 
Reunion Oxynotus; but my friend Mr. Edward Newton has 
been more fortunate with respect to that of the Mauritian spe¬ 
cies, and he has favoured me by adding the following communi¬ 
cation respecting it: — 
“ The Oxynotus of Mauritius, or “ Cuisinier ” as it is, for 
what reason I do not know, called, begins to build towards the 
end of October or beginning of November. Two of the three 
nests that I have found were placed in small trees not more than 
twenty feet high, and of a sort of mop-like growth, the nest being 
nearly in the centre of the “ mop,” and almost out of sight from 
below, on account of the small, thickly-growing leaves. One 
tree was a “ Bois-balai ” (. Erythroxylum hypericifoliuim) , the other 
a “ Bois de pomme” (. Lyzygium glomeratum). The bark of 
both these trees is as white as that of a European birch. The 
third nest was in a tree of somewhat thinner growth, but, I 
believe, also a “ Bois-balai,” and was easily to be seen from 
the ground. One of the nests, which is now before me and 
contained two eggs when I took it, is flat, shallow, and very 
small for the size of the bird (whose head and tail projected 
considerably on either side), being 4*5 inches in external, and 
3 inches in internal diameter. The height of its walls is nowhere 
more than 2'5 inches. It is composed of long fern-roots and 
tendrils of some plant, studded on the outside with a common 
white and black lichen, and well secured by spiders' webs woven 
over its outer surface. M. Pollen, in his ‘Note' on the Oxy¬ 
notus of Reunion, stated his belief that its nest would be “ dans 
la forme des piegrieches ( Lanii ).” The nest of the Mauritian 
species is very like that of Lanius rufus , both in size and general 
appearance. The eggs measure about 1*07 inch in length, by 
about •74 inch in breadth. They are of a very pale sea-green, 
thickly marked with ash-coloured spots of a middle size, and 
blotched, especially between the larger circumference and the 
obtuse end of the egg, with patches of olive-brown, these latter 
markings, though of irregular shape and size, having a general 
longitudinal tendency. 
“The “Cuisinier” is found, I believe, in every part of the 
island where the original forest is left; but I fear that before 
