314 TIMF,LIII>/E. 



In a large number of nests examined, I found that three eggs were invariably laid for a 

 sitting, except when a Fan-tailed Cuckoo deposited her egg in the nest when never more 

 than two eggs of the Rock Warbler were found. The eggs vary from oval to rounded and 

 elongate-oval in form, the shell being close-grained, smooth, and slightly lustrous. When 

 fresh they are of a delicate apricot shade, but after being emptied of their contents are pure 

 white. Several sets taken, especially those which contained an egg of the Fan-tailed Cuckoo, 

 had the thicker ends of the eggs sparingly pepjiered or dusted with almost invisible markings 

 of pinkish-red. A set of three, taken by Mr. Frank Hislop at Lithgow, on the i8th September, 

 1899, measures as follows: — -Length (.\) o-83 x o-6i inches; (B) o'Sj x o'62 inches; (C) O'Sj x 

 0-63 inches. Another set of three, taken at Middle Harbour on the 28th October, 1900, 

 measures: — (A) o-8xo-6 inches; (B)o-8xo-6 inches; (C) 0'79xo-6i inches. .\ set of two, 

 taken from the same nesting-place on the 5th October, 1901, and which also contained an efrc 

 of the Fan-tailed Cuckoo, measures: — (A) 0-79 x 0-65 inches; (B) o-8 xo-62 inches. 



Oi. . October, 1898, I found a nest in a gully at Chatswood. My attention was 



drawn to it by seeing one of these birds with an insect in its bill, disappear behind some 

 rocks and then fly into a dark recess close at hand. This was near a small waterfall, and 

 on making an examination of the cave, which had the floor covered with water, the nest was 

 discovered attac: roof. On a ledge of rock, and crouched tightly into it, I found a young 



Fan-tailed Cuckoo. 1 ms both Rock Warblers continued to feed for some time. On securing 

 the young Cuckoo, it pecked vigorously at my finger, the foster-parents at the same time utter- 

 ing shrill notes of distress and coming so close to me that I could almost have caught them. 

 Knowing that the Rock Warblers, of which there was only this pair in the gully, would build 

 again in the same locality, the place was visited on the 8th inst., in company with Mr. S. W. 

 Moore. Following down the creek for a distance of three hundred yards from their previous 

 nesting-place, the latter discovered their partially-built nest in a small rocky cavern in the bed 

 of the creek, and over which the water was slowly trickling. We watched the sp)Ot for some 

 time, and although the note of the birds could be heard, we did not see them enter the nesting- 

 place. On going to t ce, we saw one of the birds with /ss in its bill close to the 

 nest, this it quickly Uioijp<-u and disappeared through a small noi-j <ti the back of the cavern. 

 On examining this nest on the i jth inst., it contained a single egg, which by its size I judged 

 to be a Fan-tailed Cuckoo's, but as the nest did not appear to be quite finished, did not 

 take it out to examine it. Visiting the nest again on the 22nd inst., I found it contained 

 three eggs. The third egg proved to be, as previously surmised, an egg of the Fan-tailed 

 Cuckoo. The eggs were returned to the nest, and I visited it again on the 26th inst. The 

 female was sitting, and allowed me to get within a yard of the nest before leaving it. It still 

 contained only two eggs of the Rock Warbler, in addition to the Cuckoo's, and as they were 

 all slightly incubated I took them. The female was exceedingly tame, and while I was at the 

 nest hovered several times within a few feet of me. This nest was built of very soft material 

 throughout, chiefly with shreds of bark, fine rootlets, mosses, and cobwebs. It had no lining 

 of feathers, which was probably due to the egg of the Fan-tailed Cuckoo being deposited before 

 it was quite finished. On the 29th October, and for the third time during that month, I found 

 the nest of this same pair of birds. It was attached to a portion of the old nest left in the cave 

 where the young Cuckoo was caught on the 3rd inst. Owing to my leaving for the country, 

 no opp>ortunity occurred of visiting this nest for several weeks, but Mr. C. G. Johnston, who 

 was with me, examined it on the 9th November, and found it contained one egg of the Rock 

 Warbler and one of a Fan-tailed Cuckoo. On visiting it again on the 12th in'^t. he found that 

 some one had removed the eggs. 



The Rock Warbler had not been included among the foster-parents of any of the Cuculidae 

 prior to my discovery of a young Fantailed Cuckoo near one of their nests. That it was not. 



