CtTRIOUS NESTING-SITE OF ANTHUS AUSTRALIS — NORTH. 15 



where it was obtained by the members of "The Horn Scientific 

 Expedition." Why this small flock should have wandered so far 

 south-east instead of pursuing the usual course of migration to the 

 north-west it is ditticult to conjecture, unless the birds followed in 

 the track of an abundant rainfall so common to Central Australia, 

 with its rapidly accompanying growth and profusion of rich 

 grasses, thereby causing a plentiful food supply. There is no doubt 

 whatever that reaching the westeni border of New South Wales 

 the excessively dry season now being experienced there lias 

 driven this small nomadic flock from the withering and burnt-up 

 grass lands to the cooler districts near the coast. This is only a 

 repetition of the effects of last year's drought when many birds 

 whose habitat is the dry inland districts of the Colony, were 

 obtained near Sydney, among which may be mentioned Falco 

 liypolencos, a typical Central Australian species. 



Roughly estimated, the nearest recorded locality in Central 

 Australia in which Emblema picta has been obtained, is 1,300 

 miles in a direct line from Oampbelltown, in New South Wales, 

 where the present specimens were procured. 



IT.— On a CUllTOUS NESTING-SITE of ANTHUS 



AUSTRALIS. 



(Plate iv.) 



The Trustees of the Australian Museum are indebted to Mr. 

 A. M. N. Rose, for a nest of the Australian Pipit or common 

 "Ground Lark," Anthus aiistralis, placed in a very curious 

 position. It is built inside an old rusty preserve tin, measuring 

 four inches and a half in length by three inches and a half in 

 diameter. The entrance to the nest is narrowed to two inches, 

 by a small platform of dried grasses which protrudes out of the 

 mouth of the tin. Tliis nest was found on the 24th of November, 

 1896, by Mr. A. Payten at Campbelltown in the same paddock 

 as he shot the specimens of Emblema picta, and contained two 

 slightly incubated eggs. The tin, which has the lid still attached, 

 but bent at a right angle, was lying exposed on the ground, 

 without shelter or concealment of any kind, beyond a few short 

 blades of dried grass. The eggs are of the usual type, a greyish- 

 white ground colour thickly freckled all over with pale brown 

 markings; length (A) 0-8 x 0-67 inch ; (B) 084 x 0-67 inch. 

 As will be seen on reference to the accompanying plate, it is a 

 curious site for a bird to select which builds an open cup-shaped 

 nest concealed only by an overhanging tuft of grass, or the 

 surrounding herbage. 



