( 383 ) 



Mr. Beck fijuml these birds fairly cinniuou at Conway Bay, on Indefatigable 

 Island, where they nested in the mangroves. The nests were here all jilaced well 

 out on the branches, from to 12 ft. high, and on a foundation of twigs, composed 

 of dry grass and weed-stems with more or less moss, lined with fine rootlets or 

 grass. Most of the nests were incomplete or qnite fresh, but yet without eggs. 

 On Seymour Island, off Indefatigalile, the nests were mostly placed in the long- 

 spined cactus, and in tliis case the foundation was generally larger and thicker. 

 Mr. Beck thinks that I he frequency of rats on Seymour may have caused the birds 

 to nest in the formidable sjiiny cactus. On Daphne Island no Nesomimus was seen, 

 although the locality seemed to be favourable enough. 



Two eggs (March lOtil) measure : 'Zb\ x lOJ and 25f x 191 mm. 



The colour is the same as that of the other Nesomimi. 



Nesomimus melanotis bindloei Ridgw. 



Nov. Ziioi.. VI, 1899, p. 14t;. 



This form was found common on the northern side of Biudloe, from the 

 sea-shore to the top of the island. A fresh, incomplete nest was found in a dry 

 bush, a few yards from the shore, (5 ft. from the ground. Another one, situated in 

 a bush, 3 ft. from the ground, contained one fresh egg. It is bnilt like those of 

 other JSctiomimi. The egg is also similar, and measures 2frlxl'.»-7 mm. 



A third nest contained a pipped egg and three young birds. 



Nesomimus parvulus (Cionld). 



[fesomimus Jill mil iix Jill riiiliix and X. jjarnihia affiiiis^'i^iiv. Zndi,. VI, 1899, p. 146. 



Messrs. Beck and Green have sent a series from Albemarle as well as from 

 Narborough, which shows that the Narborongli bird cannot be se]iarate<l from that 

 of Albemarle. The darker colonr and other differences manifested iu the material 

 collected by Banr and Adams and the Webster-Harris expedition are evidently due 

 to the abraded condition of the plumage. 



Mr. Beck found Nesomvnus parruliis in small numbers around Tagus Cove, 

 but a few more were noticed at Cape Berkeley. Nests found on Albemarle in 

 cactus bushes had young birds two or three days old. The usual material out of 

 which the nests were built was the same as that used on other islands by Nesomimi. 

 The nests stood, however, generally lower — especially less high than those of 

 Nesomimus adamsi on Chatham Island. Mr. Beck thinks that the cats are about 

 the greatest enemies of these birds, but that they cannot get at the nests in the 

 cactus bushes. 



On Narborough these birds were common at a ])atch of vegetation on the 

 northern jiart of Narborough, where Mr. Beck and his ]iarty went on shore. The 

 birds there were, as most of the otlier forms on other islands, ini|uisitive and tame, 

 bnt at Mangrove Point, on the east coast of Narborough Island, where high 

 mangroves are the sole vegetation, they kept well out of sight, aud stuck to the 

 tops of the trees, so that no specimen was procured. Many old nests were seen 

 in thorn-bushes from two to six feet high. A nest with four naked young was 

 seen in a thorn-bush about five feet high. 



Another nest in a similar position was found on April 5th, 1901, containing 

 four incubated eggs. This nest is composed of twigs and grass stems, lined with 



