113 



The nest of Ailurcrdus viridis, is a beautiful structure, being 

 bowl-shaped, and composed exteriorly of long twigs, entwined 

 around tlie large broad leaves of PtariefAa argyrode'iidron, and 

 other broad-leaved trees, some of the leaves measuring eleven 

 inches in length by four inches in breadth. The leaves appear to 

 have been picked when green, so beautifully do they fit the rounded 

 form of the nest, one side of which is almost hidden by them. The 

 interior of the nest is lined entirely with fine twigs. The nest of 

 Ailuriedits viridis is similar to that of A. maculosus, but larger, 

 and both of them can readily be distinguished from those of any 

 other Australian bird by the peculiarity of having large broad 

 leaves used in the construction of the exterior portion of tlie nest. 



The eggs of A. viridis an; two in number for a sitting, oval in 

 form, being but slightly compressed at the smaller end, of a unifonu 

 creamy-white very faintly tinged witii green, the sliell being 

 comparatively smooth and slightly glossy. Length I'GG inch x 

 1'2 inch. 



Although the Cat-bii'ds are usually included in the family of 

 Bower-building birds, 1 have never known or heard of either 

 species constructing a bovver. This will cancel Dr. Ramsay's 

 description of the nest and eggs of the Cat-bird, which I have 

 given in the Australian Museum Catalogue of the " Nests and 

 Eggs of Birds found breeding in Australia and Tasmania," p. 17(5. 



JJah. Coastal Ranges of New South Wales and Southern 

 Queensland. 



'Sphecotheres maxillakis, Latham. Southern Sphecotheres. 



Gould, Haiidbk. Bds. Ansir., Vol. i., sp. 286, p. 4G7. 



This species is widely dispersed through the brushes of the 

 eastern coast of Australia, it is a well known species on the 

 Richmond and Clarence Rivers, and Mr. Grime informs me it is 

 fairly common on the Tweed River where it is locally known as the 

 " Mulberry-bird," from the decided preference it evinces for that 

 species of fruit amongst many others attacked by this bird. Mr. 

 Grime has forwarded a nest and two eggs, taken on the 8tii of 

 November, 1890, together with the following notes. "I have 

 found two nests this season of S. maxillaris, they were built in 

 each instance on the "Swamp Tea-tree," at a height of about forty 

 feet from the ground, the nests are attached by the rim to tlie 

 thin branches of an outspreading bough, and what surprises me is 

 how the eggs are not shaken out of the nest by the wind. The 

 last nest I found, after climbing the tree to the limb on whicJi the 

 nest was placed, I reached out as far as I could on it and attached 

 a piece of rope and then drew the limb to the main trunk and 

 secured it, this brought the ne.st nearer, but above my head, so 

 when I climbed farther up I could reach it, there were three eggs 

 in the nest, but I broke one before reaching the ground." 



