^LURCEDUS. 



7» 



At Ourimbah, I saw these birds building on the 25th November, 1898. In this district the 

 leaves of the Native Tamarind (Diploglottis cnnnlnghwiii ) are used by this species in the 

 construction of its nest. 



The e<,'gs of the Cat-bird lire usually two, sometimes three in number for a sitting. They 

 vary in form from oval to elon-ate-oval, some specimens tapering sharply towards the smaller 

 end, the shell being close grained and its surface smooth and glossy. Typically they are of a 

 uniform cream colour, but varv from a rich cream to a pale creamy-white. A set of two, taken 

 by Mr. George Savidge at Cangai, in the Upper Clarence District, on the nth December, 

 1897, measures as follows :-Length (A) rSgxray inches; (B) rSxray inches. Another 

 set:— (A) 1-69 X 1-26 inches; (B) 17 x 1-25 inches. 



Nestlings have the head and hind-neck covered with smoky-brown down, remainder of the 

 upper surface as in the adults but duller in colour, and only the innermost scapulars with a spot 

 of white near the extremity of the outer web; sides of the face, throat and the neck, bare; 

 lower neck, chest, and sides of the bodv smoky-grey; centre of the breast and abdomen dull 

 white with indistinct dull ol.ve-green tips to all the feathers. Wing 4-6 inches. In young 

 birds the throat is grevish-white, with brown bases to the feathers ; there are no white streaks 

 on the centres of the feathers of the hind-neck, and the inner secondaries only have a small 

 spot of yellowish-white at the extremity of the outer web ; on the sides of the neck there is 

 only an indication of the white patch of feathers, and the centres of the feathers on the lower 

 sides of the body are broadly streaked with yellowish-white. Wing 5-9 inches. 



October and the three following months constitute the usual breeding season of this species. 



yEluroedus maculosus. 



SPOTTED CAT-BIKU. 

 .Elura^dus maculosus, Ramsay, Proe. Zaol. Soc, 1874, p. 601; Sharp., Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., Vol. 

 VI., p. 38.5 (1881); North, Proe. Linn. Soc, N. S. Wales, 2nd ser., Vol. III., p. U. (Ibbh). 

 Ailurcedns tnacnlo.^us, Gould, Bds. New Uuin., Vol. I., pi. 38. 



Advlt MU.K- Head and nape blackish-brown, with a rounded subterminal spot of hrownish- 

 v,hite at the tip of each feather: the hind neck sunilar, bat slightly rcashed ^vith green andpassxng 

 into dull green on the mantle, which is less distinctl;, spotted with brownish-wMte ; remauider oj the 

 upper surface green; the upper back slightly tinged ^oith olive.- quills and upper wmg-coverts green; 

 the inner' series of the median and greater coverts, also the secondaries, with a small spot of wlnte at 

 the tip of their outer webs: inner webs of the outer secondaries and of the primaries blackish-brown ; 

 the apical portion of the outer webs of the primaries, except the two innermost feathers, bhnsh-green; 

 tail green, all but 'the t^oo central Jeathers tipped roith white, the lateral feathers blackish-brown on 

 t),eir inner webs, and increasing in extent towards the outermost feather, which rs only sUghtly 

 washed with green on the outer web; lores yellowish-whUe ; ear-coverts black, the short upper Jeathers 

 wldtisli; lower cheeks yellowish-white : chin black : throat dull rMte with greemsh-brown tips to al 

 feathers, the latter colour more distinct on the fore-neck ; remainder of the under surface greemsh- 

 brown, with a lanceolate yellowish-white marking in the centre of each feather on the chest and 

 breast, and which lengthens out into a narrow lanceolate shaft-stripe on the feathers of the lower 

 sides of the body: centre of the abdomen and the under taU-coverts yellow, slightly loashed rvith 

 nreen' bill light bluish-horn colour at the base, whitish at Uie tip ; legs and feet fleshy-brown ; ^r^s 

 reddish-brown. Total length 11 inches, wing 6, tail i-2, bill 105, tarsus 1 7o. 

 Adult fkm.\le— .S'i/»i/rtc in plumage to the male. 

 i>ts<n6M<ton.— North-eastern Queensland. 



