94 



NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



Mr. A. J. North believes he has estabhshed an inland variety of 

 P. rufigaster, describing it under the specific name cerviniventris. Vide 

 '' Records Austrahan Musetim," vol. iii., p. 49 (1897). 



72. — PiNAKOLESTES PARVISSIMA, Gould. 



LESSER RUFOUS-BREASTED SHRIKE THRUSH. 



ifi/c-)-i«iv.— Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. iv., vol. x.. p. 114 (1872). 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — North; Austn. Mus. Cat., p. 83, pi. 8, 

 fig. I (1889), also app. (1890). 



Geographical Distribution. — North-west Australia, Northern Territory 

 and North Queensland, also New Guinea. 



Nest. — Cup-shaped, composed of broad leaves chiefly, rootlets and 

 tendrils, with a few spiders' cocoons stuck on, lined sparingly but fimily 

 with black-coloured rootlets, through wliich the leaves of the fotmdation 

 are visible, and usually placed within a few feet from the ground in a 

 lawyer-cane (Calamus) or other palm-Uke foliage. Dimensions over all, 

 4i inches by 3A inches in depth ; egg cavity, 2f inches across by 2\ inches 

 deep. 



Etjgs. — Cluteh, two to three ; roundish oval in shape ; textui'e 

 of shell iiue ; surface very glos.sy ; colour, pearly-white, blotched 

 and spotted, especially about the apex, with olive and slate markings. 

 Similar to, but tisually smaller than those of C. rufifjaster. Dimensions in 

 inches of a pair: (1) 1-04 x -74, (2) -94 x -72. 



Observations — It is still a matter of doubt with ornithologists whether 

 the two varieties of little Rufous-breasted Shrike Thrushes are not really 

 one species. 



Mr. North, who has had the opportunity of examining many specimens 

 of both varieties in the Australian and Macleayan Museums, states that 

 C . parvissima differs from C. rufigaster in its deeper tinted plumage and 

 smaller measiu'ements, while the average cUmensions of a number of 

 specimens of C. rufigaster obtained at Wide Bay and Richmond River are 

 length, 7-5 inches; wing, 3-9 inches; tail, 3-5 inches; bill, from forehead, 

 1 inch; a specimen of C. jjarvissima from Cape York meastu'es 65 

 inches; wing, 3-7 inches; tail, 3 inches; bill, from forehead, 0-87 inch. 



During his exciu'sion in October, 1893, to Northern Queensland, 

 Mr. D. Le Souef found the northern race of birds numerous in the Bloom- 

 field River district, where several nests were discovered, generally within a 

 few feet of the gro'ind. Mr. Le Souef adds, the nests are not easy to find, 

 and only discovered by seeing the bird darting off. In his series of 

 photogi-aphs wa« a picture of a nest in situ of the Lesser Rufous-breasted 

 Shi-ike Thrush, characteristically and beautifully ensconced among the hard 

 leaves of pandanus-palm. (See illustration.) 



Mr. W. B. Barnard, during his northern scrub experience, seldom 

 found more than a pair of eggs in the uest of the Lesser Rufous-breasted 

 Thi-ush, and observed that the principal breeding months were October 

 to December. 



