616 On Nests and Eggs from Neiv Guinea. 
from a thin fork near the end of a branch, and measure— 
external diameter inches, internal 2; external depth 2§ 
inches, internal If. The eggs are slightly larger and lighter 
in colour than those found in Australia, having a pale 
reddish-white ground-colour, with a zone round the larger 
end of very dark brown markings; the smaller end is very 
blunt; and they measure : A 0*86 X 0*58, B 0*79 X 0*56 inch. 
Ptilopus coronulatus. 
These beautiful little Green Fruit-Pigeons are most difficult 
to detect among the thick green foliage in which they make 
their home, and one is fortunate, to be able to secure a 
specimen. They have the curious habit of laying their 
single egg on the leaf of a palm-tree, as when these large 
leaves branch out horizontally they are slightly concave, and 
often have a few dead leaves and twigs on their surface that 
have fallen from the surrounding trees. This Pigeon just 
lays its egg on the leaf, but makes no nest of any kind, and 
directly anyone approaches the sitting bird darts off and 
flies away as if wounded, and is soon lost to sight ; but 
Mr. Barnard succeeded in securing one bird as it flew off its 
egg, which was on a palm-leaf about 3J feet from the ground. 
The egg is creamy white and an elongated oval, and measures 
1*24 X O’ 72 inch. 
Dacelo gaudichaudi. 
Mr. Barnard noticed these birds generally in the dense 
scrub, both on the hill-tops and near the beach. They were 
plentiful, and generally seen in pairs, but occasionally a few 
birds congregated together to utter their curious note in 
chorus ; it is something like the laughing sound made by 
the j Dacelo gig as, but not so loud. If their eggs are well 
incubated, they dart at the intruder if he goes near the nest ; 
but if the eggs arc fresh they do not, but only fly about close 
by. Mr. Barnard found four of their nests on Sariba Island. 
They were hollows made in the mounds which the termites 
had constructed in the trees, of varying heights from the 
ground, from 4 to about 40 feet. The nest has no 
