252 SYLVIID.E. 



A nest of this species, taken by the late Mr. K. H. Bennett in the Mossgiel District, New 

 South Wales, in 1883, is an open structure composed throughout of bark fibre and the dried 

 blades or spines of porcupine-grass, placed upon a foundation of pieces of bark; it measures 

 four inches and a half in diameter and two inches and a half in depth; inside measurement two 

 inches and a half in diameter by a depth of three-quarters of an inch. This nest was probably 

 flattened out during removal, for others taken by Mr. G. A. Keartland and his companions in 

 Western .Australia, also by Mr. C. E. Cowle in Central Australia, are partially domed or oval 

 structures, with a large entrance near the top or in the side, and were composed wholly of soft 

 dried grasses. Like those found by the late Mr. K. H. Bennett, they were all placed close to 

 the ground, and in or under the shelter of a spinifex tussock. 



The eggs are oval in form, the shell being close-grained, smooth, and slightly lustrous. 

 They vary from almost pure white to a reddish-white ground colour, which is more or less 

 obscured with freckles, or small irregular shaped dots and spots of rich red or reddish-brown, 

 some specimens having the markings uniformly distributed ouer the shell, while in others they 

 predominate on the thicker end, and where in many instances a well defined zone or cap is 

 formed. A set of three, taken at Mossgiel by the late Mr. K. H. Bennett in 1883, measures: — 

 Length (A) 0-85 x 0-65 inches; (B) 0-84 x 0-63 inches; (C) o-85xo-6i inches. A set of two, 

 taken by Mr. C. E. Cowle at Illamurta, Central Australia, in July, 1898, measures: — Length 

 (A) 0-8 X 0-66 inches; (B) 078 x o-66 inches. The eggs of this species are not to be distinguished 

 from those of A mytis textiiis. 



The usual breeding season of this species in Central Australia is the same as that of ^^. 

 textiiis, but Mr. Cowle has procured fresh eggs in July. In Western .'\ustralia, Mr. G. A. 

 Keartland informs me that the members of the Calvert E.xploring Expedition found nests with 

 eggs and young in August and September. 



"Since the above was in type, I have received the February number of "The \ictorian 

 Naturalist," containing a very interesting paper on the genus Aiuytis, by Mr. G. .\. Keartland. ■ 

 It was received too late, however, except to give a reference to it here.] 



Eremiornis carteri. 



CARTER'S DESERT-BIRD. 

 Eremiornis carteri, North, Vict. Nat., Vol. XVII., p. 78 (1900); id., op. cit., p. 93 (1900); id., 



op. cit. Vol. XIX., p. 71, pi. opp p. 72 (1902); Sclater, Bull. Brit. Orn. CluK, XII., p. 51 



(1902); id., Ibis, 1902, p. 608, pi. XIV. 

 Adult male — Lores and a distinct superciliary stripe dull white; Jorehead rufoui: remainder 

 of the upper surface broicn tinged with rufous, hecomintj slii/htly more rufescent on (he rump and 

 upper tail-coverts ; lesser and median iving-coverts like the back, the greater coverts fulvous-brown, 

 with dark broicn centres; quills dark brotvn, the primaries narrowly edged with dull ashy-rufous, 

 tipped ivitli fulvous-broicn, the tips decreasing in size towards the central pair; ear-coverts pale 

 washed on the margins of their outer webs with rufous, the four outermost feathers on either side 

 and the secondaries margined on their outer webs with rufous; tail feathers dark brown sligh/ly 

 brown with distinct white shaft-streaks; sides of the neck ashy-brown ; throat dull white passing into 

 pale buff on the fore-neck and chest; centre of the breast and abdomen dull white washed with 

 ochraceous-buff, and becoming darker on the sides of the body ; under tail-coverts fulvous-brown, 

 with a slight rufescent tinge and crossed on their apical portion with a broad subterminal band 



♦ "Vict. Nat." Vol. XX., p. 133 (1904). 



