25 



PTILOKUIS. 



Mthou^h the e.^, of this species was the last discovered of the genus Ptilorhis, its nest has 

 , f n fo n'-xny years past. In my private collection, I have an egg of the Cat-b>rd, taken 

 XT. IZ-^^^^^T^ -ar L,snrore, on the Kichn.ond Kiver, in October .883, but rt 

 1 1 no en; ntomv possession until after I had described an authent.cated nest and egg of 

 i^ " r n Sgr.' The discoverer of the former nest and egg also found at the same m«. a 

 nest of e R fle-bird, built in a mass of Lawyer-vines at the top of a tree about wenty fee 

 nest ot the Km , .-^^^^ ,, ,,^ being somewhat similar in construction and torm to the 



S:^^'!::::; bu^in:::;""l.;tenal ^d sma^r .aves, n.termmgled on the outside with 

 a quantity of moss and the exuviae of snakes. 



Since the receipt of tins information, many nests and eggs of the closely allied species 

 P,i^sl^i^ have been found in Queensland, and the nests discovered to be similar in 

 ^''^7'";" The first published description of the nest of the Rifle-bird ( Pf^or/ns />arad:sea, 



birds. From so,,,, mie.e.U.g no.es „„.,. " ' ' ^ cedar-oUter, ,n October, w. 



native clinrbed, be .ree.bu..o„nd .be nest j,». ""'pY"; ' T'' nlf We t „ Iw 



The nests of P M^^^^'sea are more bulky in form than those of its ally P ^■'^"^'^^^ 

 shell being close-grained, and its surface smooth -d « ossy^ J ^o^^ ^^^^^^^_ 



on the other egg, with the exception of one or two broad bluned ^'^^^'^'^ '' ^Zethicl^e. end. 

 marked, the dtiU violet-grey underlying streaks being more pronounced on the thicker 

 Length (A) r3xo'93 inches; (B) 1-38 x 0-92 mches. 



Compared with a number of eggs of Queen Victoria's Kifle-bird, ^^-;^^^T^ 

 bird, the above-described eggs of ^^^f ::::r ^I^.:^ re'i^r:" distributed 

 richer and darker ground colour, and by then smaller, ana mu 



longitudinal streaks. 



longituQinai streass. . ■, i u ,„^ 



\he young male is similar to the adult fem^, except in ^^^^^ -:-;;:'::rr:::; 

 to the remainder of the under-parts. It is probable that the lull adult 1 er 

 assumed until the end of the third season, like ^^ ^^^^^^J^^^^,^ ^ Port 

 latter species I have m confinement. A young -^ ^J^ J'^ J'^ ^ ^ ^ve described, with a few 

 Macquarie, New South Wales, on the :3th ^^^^^^^^^ :,tu,s; on the centre of the 

 feathers on the crown of the head changing into metallic-^reen at '^_^__________ 



T^^^^^^^Zvb^T^Voll.. p. Ill, figs, xii.-xiv. (1891). 



