COLLYUIOCIXCLA. 



101 



CoUyriocMa kannonica, bark or bark-ftbre :s seldom used in its construct.on, and it resemb es 

 Ire a miniature nest of tbe Cat-bird (.^..dus vM.). An average nest measures externally 

 fivei cbes in diameter by four inches in depth; internal diameter three mches depth wo 

 •ncl s and a half. They are usually built ur a thin three or more pronged upr.ght branch of 

 ant icMy leaved shrub, or m a mass of vines in the scrubs, at a height varying from hve to 

 ::il e feet from the ground. At Copmanhurst, 1 saw one in a Bean-tree f Castano.per.uon 

 Zrale), and another in one of the introduced Lantana bushes which over-run so many of the 

 scrubs on the northern rivers of New South Wales, and elsewhere. 



The e-s are three in number for a sitting, varying from elongate to rounded oval in form, 



the shell b:rng close-grained, smooth and lustrous. They are of a pearly-white ground colour 



wth dots, spots, and blotches of reddish -brown, distributed over the suriace of the she 1, and 



intermingled with underlying spots and blotches of warm slaty-grey. Some specimens lia^ea 



" dull white ground colour, 



which is almost obscured 

 with indistinct fleecy mark- 

 ings, intermingled with small 

 irregular-shaped blotches of 

 pale brown, and underlying 

 markings of dull lilac-grey. 

 Others have rich red dots 

 and spots, and could easily 

 be mistaken in character and 

 colour of markings for lightly 

 spotted varieties of GvalUna 

 picata. The markings are 

 generally larger, and pre- 

 dominate on the thicker end 

 of the shell. Length:— (A) 

 I-07XO-75 inches; (B) 1-05 

 X 078 inches. A set of 

 three measures: — (A) i'03x 

 o-S inches; (B) 1-03 x 079 

 inches; (C) roi x 075 inches. 

 In the coastal brushes of 

 New South Wales, the breed- 

 ing season of this species commences about the middle of September, and continues until the 

 end of January. 



The nest figured was taken by Mr. George Savidge in the Cangai Scrubs, Upper Clarence 

 River District, in November, 1898, and contained two fresh eggs. 



Although undoubtedly very closely allied to the present species Gould's ^d^^-^^ 

 par^issiua ^s a decidedly smaller northern form, and can furthermore ^^'^^^^^^^^l^ 

 tpper parts being more strongly washed with olive. ^^^^^ ^^Z^tlZZ 

 as follows :-Total length 6-3 inches, wing 3-5, tail 27, bill o /> It ranges as 

 nei'^hbourhood of the Herbert River, Queensland. 



° Mr I. A. Boyd, who sent me several nests and sets of eggs, while resident at the Herbert 

 River wrote as Lo^s.-^^ Collyrioancla parrissin,a is not at all particular m its choic o a 

 ^u IdL place. I have taken its nest in a stunted Drac.na, and fron. ^^e upright fork of a 

 'C^tLve feet from the ground. In November, 189. I ^^^^:::7:t^. 

 reeds, not a foot from the ground: and I have pulled one out of the lea\es 



NEST OF RUFOUS-BREASTED SIIRIKE-TII KUSH. 



