BY ALFRED J. NORTH. 219 



about forty yards it again rose with the Ibis, and I was successful 

 in shooting it. Upon examining the place, we found the nest of 

 the S^DOonbill built amongst those of the White Ibis; it was an 

 open flat structure, composed of broken down reeds and twigs, 

 measuring two feet across, and was placed al30ut three feet above 

 the water. The eggs, three in number, were in an advanced state 

 of incubation. All the nests of the White Ibis contained young 

 birds from one to two weeks old." 



The eggs of Plaf.alea melanorkyncha are similar to those of its 

 near ally P. leitcorodia, of Europe and Southern Asia; they are 

 elongate-oval in form, slightly pointed at the smaller end, and of 

 a dull chalky-white ground colour, with ill-defined blotches and 

 smears of yellow- and pale reddish-brown almost uniformly distri- 

 buted over the surface of the shell; one specimen (C) is more 

 sparingly but distinctly marked, and has a few bold darker 

 blotches on the large end. Length, (A) 2-73 x 1-73 inch; (B) 

 2-65 X 1-68 inch; (C) 2-6 x 1-7 inch. 



It is remarkable the partiality Spoonbills have for breeding in 

 company with Ibises. Mr. Hume in his "Nests and Eggs of 

 Indian Birds" records Platalea leucorodia breeding on trees in 

 company with the Pelican-Ibis (Tantalus leucocephalusj, also near 

 colonies of the Shell-Ibis (Anastomus oscitans). 



Ardetta pusilla, Yieillot. 



Though a comparatively rare species the Minute Bittern is 

 widely distributed in suitable localities over most parts of Eastern 

 Australia. In New South Wales it still frequents the neighbour- 

 hood of Sydney, specimens having been recently presented to the 

 Trustees of the^ Australian Museum that were procured on the 

 marshy grounds at the mouth of Cook's River during January, 

 1895. A freshly shot specimen was also received in the same 

 month from a correspondent at Narromine, a pastoral and agri- 

 cultural district, situated on the banks of the Macquarie River, 

 and about 300 miles west of Sydney. It appears, however, to be 

 more freely distributed on the swamps in the vicinity of the 

 Murray River, for on several occasions Mr. Evered has been 



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