1050 ON THE NIDIFICATION OF H. CINEREIFRONS AND 0. SPALDINGI, 



ON THE NIDIFICATION 0¥ HETEROMYIAS CINEREL 



FRONS, RAMSAY, AND ORTEONYX SPALDINGI, 



RAMSAY. 



By a. J. North, F.L.S. 



The Trustees of the Australian Museum have recently received 

 from their collectors, Messrs. Cairn and Grant, specimens of the 

 nests and eggs of Heteromyias cinereifrons, and Ortlionyx spal- 

 dingij from North-eastern Queensland, which with the sanction of 

 the Curator I am here permitted to describe. 



Heteromyias cinereifrons, Ramsay. Ashy-fronted Flycatcher. 



" Win-dan," Aborigines of Cairns district. 



During September and October of this year several nests of 

 this species were obtained by Messrs. Cairn and Grant, in the 

 scrubs of the Herberton tableland ; in every instance they were 

 found in the " Lawyer vines " {Calamus sp.), about four or 

 five feet from the ground ; several of these nests now before me 

 have been built between the forked stems, or where several vines 

 cross each other, in other instances they have been placed on the 

 thin horizontal stems to which the nests are attached. The outside 

 of the nest is formed of thin twigs bent into shape, wiry rootlets, 

 skeletons of leaves, and the fibre of the " Lawyer vine ;" the 

 inside which is saucer-shaped, being neatly lined with finer mate- 

 rials, while the exterior portion of the nest is ornamented with 

 mosses and lichens, which give it a pleasing appearance. Exterior 

 diameter 4*5 inches, depth 4; internal diameter 2-75, depth 1-1. 

 The eggs are two in number for a sitting and closely resemble in 

 shape and colour large specimens of Artamus sujyerciliosus, being 

 of a dull buffy white ground colour, thickly covered, especially 

 towards the larger end, with clouded markings of umber brown ; 



