BIRDS - NEW CALEDONIA L. Macmillan Page 123 NOTES:Aegotheles (continued) pronounced, doubtless a case of camophlage to suit the light coloured bark of the Noulie. In fact I believe this is a bird of the Noulie absolute. Its gape is large as expected in this species. Its flight is slow and laboured, somewhat undulating or one might say humping. (The effect can be produced by opening the hand palm downwards, fingers together and humping the hand at the knuckles), the tail appearing somewhat heavy. It is a species much closer to the swifts than the owls as the legs are very thin and weak and are probably useless for normal perching. The species I think only perches on a large flat broad branch in the attitude of the night-jars. It sleeps in the day on a flat limb near the ground or on a fallen tree or large branch on the ground, in a swamp or long grass or ferns. It has several times been flushed in the day by a local white when deer hunting on the Noulie forested hillsides, his dogs putting the bird up. It never flys far but quickly pitches to the ground in a near by patch of ferns or grass. The peculiar comb on the middle claw may be some assistance in holding large slippery powdery moths on a branch while the bird tears it to pieces. Thought the gape is large the throat seems small. Friday, 4th August, 1939 Weather: Rainy and stromy, clouds 100%. Wind strong East. Habitat: Coastal coco-nuts and Noulie. ACCIPITER f. (Attacking Domestic chickens when shot at dawn. Accipiter fas. Vig. Male AD., 1/1 plus, white, (L.T. 24x12mm. R.T. 20x11mm) SHOT: 6:15 a.m. (sunrise) WGHT: 264.5 gms. SKL: C.O. STM: 0/0, empty. MOULT: Body:powder-down C. ABR: W: slight T: fair. Seemed large for a male though wings are normal.