NESTS A.VD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 107 



84. — MiCRtECA FLAVIGASTKH. Gould. — (151) 



LEMON-BREASTED FLYCATCHER. 



Figure. — Gould ; Birds of Australia, fol , vol ii., pi 94 

 Rtference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. iv. p. 126 



Previous Descriptions oj Eggs. — Le Souef : Proc. Roy See, Vict , vii . 

 new ser., p. 24 (1895), also Victorian Naturalist, fig. {1896) 



Geographical Diatrihutinn .■ — Northeni TeiTitoi-y and North Queens- 

 land ; also New Guinea. 



Xeiit. — Extremely small and neat, composed of light-coloured fibrous 

 material resembling bark, outwardly oniamented with pieces of silvery- 

 grey bark, and placed in the dead horizontal forked branch of a forest tree, 

 such as casuarina, (fee. Dimensions over all, li inches by 1^ uaches in 

 depth; egg cavity IJ inches across by ^, inch deep. Tliis is the most 

 diminutive of all known Australian birds' nests. 



^V.''"- — Clutch, usually one only ; oval, being more lengthened in shape 

 than that of the southern bird, M . fascwans; texture of shell fine ; surface 

 glossy ; coloiu', hght, wami French-grey, blotched and spotted with chestnut 

 and piu^Dle. Dimensions of single examples : (1) '77 x -53, (2) •75 x -53. 



Observations. — During an excursion to Cardwell, Northern Queensland, 

 we much enjoyed the presence and delightful ditties of these dear little 

 birds, wliich were fond of percliing on a telegraph line or on stumps near 

 oiu- tents. But, for the reason, possibly, that it was too early in the 

 season (August and September), most diligent searches failed to discover 

 the whereabouts of their nests, then imknown to science. 



However, some vcars subsequently the honour was left to 

 Mr. D. Le Souef to " officially " announce the discovery of the first nest 

 and an egg of the Lemon-breasted Flycatcher, which he brought to Mel- 

 bourne with a general collection. The nest was found in the open country, 

 near the Bloomfield River, by Mr. Frank Hislop, but it was so small 

 (undoubtedly the smallest nest of any Australian bird) and so similar in 

 colour to the branch on wliich it was built that it was very difficult to 

 detect, it being only noticed by seeing the bird fly oS. 



Mr. Le Souef, in describing the specimens before the Royal Society of 

 Victoria, stated : — " This httle bird is found in the northern portions of 

 AustraUa, generally in open forest country, and is fairly plentiful, its 

 cheery note being often heard. 



" Its beautiful httle nest wa.s found at Bloomfield, near Cooktown, on 

 25th October, 1893 ; and I secured the parent birds. It was built on the 

 dead upper branches of a small tree, about fifteen feet from the gi-ound, 

 and contained one partially-incubated egg." 



Mr. Le Souef has photographed this nest, wliich makes a pretty couplet 

 with the '■ Nest of the Yellow-breasted Flycatcher ( MachcErorliynchus)." 

 (See illustration.) 



