PTILONORHYNCHID,*. 



and entirely devoid of markings, and are among the very few uniformly coloured eggs laid in 

 open nests by the larger Australian passerine birds. 



The nest of this species is a bowl-shaped structure, composed exteriorly of long twigs and 

 stems of climbing plants entwined around a thick layer of long broad leaves, intermingled in 

 some instances with a few pieces of moss, the inside being lined with fine dried twigs. An 

 average nest measures externally eight inches and a quarter in diameter by five inches and a 

 half in depth; the inner cup five inches in diameter by three in depth. It is usually built in a 

 three or more pronged upright fork near the top of a low tree, and frequently one that 

 is hidden with a leafy mass of vines, at varying heights from twelve to forty feet from the 

 ground. 



During my visit to the Upper Clarence in November, 1898, a pair of these birds succeeded 

 in rearing their young in a scrub not far from the house. Mr. G. Savidge found several nests 

 containing eggs later on in the same month in the Dundara Scrubs. From one nest the birds 

 made every effort to allure him from the spot, uttering harsh grating cries as they fluttered 

 apparently helpless along the ground, and feigned a broken leg or wing. The previous year, 



in the Cangai Scrubs, 

 he found these birds re- 

 markably shy, not ven- 

 turing into sight even 

 when he was robbing 

 their nests. 



In these localities, 

 nests with eggs are 

 usually found in Nov- 

 ember and December. 



Mr. W. J. Grime ob- 

 tained the first nest and 

 egg of this species I 

 had seen, in the Tweed 

 River District, on the 

 4th October, 1 8go. The 

 nest was built in a 

 three-pronged fork of a 

 tree about fourteen feet 

 fiDm tlie ground, and 

 contained two slightly 

 incubated eggs. On the 

 8th November follow- 

 ing, Mr. Grime found 

 another nest which the 

 bird would not leave 

 until fairly shaken out, 

 when he discovered it 



contained two young ones, apparently hatched about a couple of days. Mr. H. R. Elvery 

 informs me that near Alstonville, in the Richmond River District, this species sometimes 

 builds in a tree a\'ergrown with lawyer-vines, and that he has found its nests in a tree-fern, 

 and on the top of a bird's-nest fern growing on the side of a tree. On two occasions he found 

 nests containing only one incubated egg in each. The nest figured, which contained two fresh 

 eggs, was taken by Mr. Elvery on the 13th December, 1898. 



NKST AND KfiGS OF CAT-1!IKD. 



