]Oj. A'ESTS A.VD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



manner, or by chasing the female from tree to tree, at the same time 

 pouring forth his sweet agi-eeable song. 



Gilbert's remarks of the bird in Western Australia apply accurately 

 to our own in the east — that the nest is so diminutive that it is difficult 

 to detect (except perhaps when the bird is sitting), and so shallow in form 

 that it is quite smprising the eggs do not roll out whenever the branch 

 is shaken by the wind. 



During the progress of the Calvert Expedition in North-west Australia, 

 mmibers of the birds in immature plumage were noticed near Lake Way, 

 in Julv. Near the Fitzroy River during Febniary they were breechng, 

 and several clutches of eggs taken, which presented considerable variation 

 in coloiu", some being heaNaly blotched with red on a pale-green ground, 

 whilst others were streaked and blotched with dark-brown on a rich-green 

 ground. The nests, which were as usual, small for the size of the birds, 

 were built of fine grass, moss, cob-webs, and scraps of bark in the hori- 

 zontal forks of the eucalypt and baidiinia trees, in such a manner as to 

 make their discovery somewhat difficult. 



From Mr. C. C. Brittlebank's observations it would appear that the 

 male alone constructs the nest. He writes: — "Re Cam iiephaya, 17th 

 February, 1897. Watched the male bird for over four hours in the 

 morning, and about the same time in the afternoon, hard at work 

 building the nest. His mate was nowhere to be seen. On the following 

 day the same t-ook place. This oi-der of tilings continued until the nest 

 was finished. We have observed tliis with three distinct pairs of birds." 

 Although the male in his conspicuous coat of black and white sometimes 

 .sits, he rarely or never feeds the young — he builds the nest, she feeds the 

 young — a division of labour. Have any other obsei-vers noticed this? 



The illustration, " Nest of the White-shouldered Caterpillar Eater," 

 is taken from a study in a branch of a casuarina tree. 



81. — Lalage LEUCOMELiENA, Vigors and Horsfield. — (110 and 111) 

 CcinipepJiaija huamitla, Gould. 

 C. karu, Lesson. 



PIED CATERPILLAR CATCHER. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fo!., vol. ii., pis, 6i and 62. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds. Brit. Mus., vol. iv . p 106, 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Fitzgerald : Proc Linn, Soc, N.S. Wales, 

 vol. ii., 2nd ser., p. 971 (18S7) 



Geographical Di.itrihution. — Northern Tenitory, Queensland, and New 

 South Wales ; also New Guinea, New Ireland, and Am Islands. 



Nest. — Somewhat small and shallow, composed of a few fine twigs or 

 portions of wire-Uke plants (some green) stuck together with spiders' web, 

 mostly on the outside, which is also sometimes ornamented with bits of 

 bark ; inside lining merely a few portions of lichen or rootlets, the whole 

 Ijeing made to resemble the forked branch where the structui'e is usually 

 situated. Dimensions over all, 2^ to 3 inches by 1 inch in depth ; egg 

 cavity, H to 2 inches across by \ inch deep. 



