BY A. J. NORTH. 443 



pointed at the smaller end, of a pale greenish-grey becoming darker 

 towards the larger end, where they are encircled with a well-defined 

 zone of small black spots, and clouded slaty -grey blotches, the latter 

 colour appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell. Length 

 (A), 0-86 X 0-61 inch ; (B), 087 x 0-57 inch ; (C), 0-84 x 0-6 inch. 



MoNARCHA LESSONi, Homb. et Jacq. 



A nest of this species taken at Ovalau by Mr. J. A. Boyd, is 

 cup-shaped, outwardly composed of shreds of bark and mosses, and 

 neatly lined inside with dried grasses and very fine fibrous roots ; 

 external diameter two inches and a-half, depth two inches ; internal 

 diameter one inch and three quarters, depth one inch and a-half. 

 Eggs three in number for a sitting, oval in form, white, with a 

 broad band of very minute bright reddish spots. Length (A), 

 0-71 X 0-57 inch ; (B), 0-74 x 0-54 inch ; (C), 073 x 0-57 inch. 



MUNIA MELAENA, /Sclat. 



This bird was found breeding freely at New Britain by Mr. 

 Parkinson, who obtained a number of specimens as well as the eggs. 

 Eggs six in number for a sitting, oval in form, pure white. 

 Length (A), 0-67 x 05 inch ; (B), 0-64 x 0-5 inch ; (C), 0-65 x 049 

 inch ; (D), 0-62 x 0-47 inch ; (E), 0-63 x 0-42 inch. 



Pitta NOViE-HiBERNiiE, Ramsay. 

 These eggs were jjrocured and also the birds at the Duke of 

 York group by Mr. Parkinson ; they are four in number for a 

 sitting, varying in form from slightly swollen into lengthened ovals, 

 of a pale creamy-white, blotched all over with irregularly-shaped 

 markings of light purplish-brown, and obsolete spots of purplish- 

 lilac and bluish-grey, the latter colour appearing beneath the 

 surface of the shell. Length (A), 1-13 x 0-87 inch ; (B), MS x 0'88 

 inch ; (C), 1-2 x 0-85 inch ; (D), M9 x 0-86 inch. 



Calornis metallica, Temm. ; 

 (var. nitida, Gray.) 

 Eggs closely resembling those of the Australian species {C. 

 metallica), of which this bird is only an insular form. They 



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