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Show 1876.] OF THE N A V I G A T O R S ' ISLANDS. 491 nut trees; and it seemed not to be affected by the glare of the daylight. It feeds on lizards, beetles, &c. 2. CORIPHILUS FRINGILLACEUS, Gm. Abundant in the early morning before the sun gets hot, on the flowers of the cocoa-nut trees, sipping the sweetened dew caught in the freshly opened spathes. When this is dried up by the heat, they are off to the forest, and feed on some of the many-petaled flowers of the tall trees. During the time that the "coral trees" (Ery-thrina) are in flower, they may be shot in dozens, as these trees form their favourite resort. I have procured specimens of this lovely little Parrakeet from the island of Futuna; and they are very abundant on Vavaw, the most northern of the Friendly Islands. 3. EUDYNAMIS TAITENSIS, Sparrm. I saw a single specimen of this Cuckoo in December, and was informed by a gentleman collecting for Messrs. Godeffroy, of Hamburg, that they are not uncommon. 4. HALCYON PEALEI, F. & II., is confined to the island of Tatuila, which, unfortunately, I was unable to visit. In Samoa it is replaced by 5. HALCYON RECURVIROSTRIS, Lafr. which is tolerably common in the more open parts of the forest, in the clearings and native gardens. It usually sits perched on a dead, protruding branch, on the look-out for insects (Grylla), after which I have seen it dart like a Flycatcher, hovering in the air and returning to its post of observation. It also darts at Cicada sitting on the trunks and branches of trees, off which it seizes them with unerrin°- aim. 6. COLLOCALIA SPODIOPYGIA, Peale. One of the commonest birds in Samoa, skimming about the open country, or amid the cocoa-nut groves, with equal facility. 7. MYZOMELA NIGRIVENTRIS, Peale. I did not find this lovely little " Sugar-bird " at all plentiful; those I saw were chiefly on the flowers of the Banana. 8. PTILOTIS CARUNCULATA (Gm.). Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub are, I think, in error in figuring this bird with a white iris, and describing it "iride alba." I have now shot a fair number in Loma Loma, in Samoa, in Tonga Tabu and Vavow ; but in not one was there the least approach to a white iris ; brown, or ashy brown was the colour in all of them. It is very common everywhere ; and in the early morning, before sunrise, when the country rings with its loud notes, as a friend observed, "it is the nearest approach of any to a song-bird ! he is trying to be a |
