I08 NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



85. — MiCRCECA PALLIDA, De Vis. 



PALE FLYCATCHER. 



Reference. — Proc. Roy. Soc, Queensland, vol. i., p. 159 (1884). 

 Previous Description of Eggs. — Le Souef : Ibis, p. 458 (1900). 



Geagrnphical Diatrihution. — Northern Territory and North Queensland. 



Jest and Eggs. — See appendix. 



Observations. — Mr. Kendall Broadbent obtained the original skin of 

 this Pale Flycatcher, in June, 1884, at the mouth of the Norman River, 

 in the forest country, where these birds were much addicted to perching 

 on stumps. Mr. Broadbent has noticed that some birds of diilerent species 

 found in the Gulf of Cai-pentaria district appear " sun-burnt " or lighter 

 in colour than those in other localities. 



86- — Rhipidura albiscapa, Gould. — (134) 



WHITE-SHAFTED FANTAIL. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol ii pi 83 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. iv., p. 310. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould : Birds of Australia (1848), also 



Handbook, vol. i, p. 239 (18651; North: Austn. Mus Cat, 



p. 85 (1889K 



Geographical Di.?trih7ttion.—Queens\cind, New South Wales, Victoria, 

 and South Australia. 



Xest. — Neatly and marvellously made, wine-glass shaped, with the base 

 of the stalk broken off, composed of fine dry grass, but more usually of 

 shreds of fine bark, matted exteriorly with spiders' web, imiJarting to the 

 nest a greyish appearance ; Uned inside with soft grass, and sometimes fine 

 yellowish rootlets, vsdth one or two horse-hairs added, and usually situated 

 a few feet from the ground in warm scrub, where the nest is saddled on 

 a naked horizontal twig (with the tail-like appendage extended underneath 

 the twig upon which the nest is built) of a small sapling or bush, or more 

 frequently on a branchlet overhanging a stream. Dimensions over all, 

 2^ inches by 1| inches in depth; not including the tail-Uke appendage, 

 1 to H inches long; egg cavity, 11 inches across by IJ inches deep. 

 (See illustration.) 



Eggs. — Clutch, two to three ; short oval in shape, prominently rovmded 

 at top end ; textiu'e of shell very fine ; smiace shghtly glossy ; coloiu, light 

 yellowish-white, mottled and spotted, particularly about the upper quarter, 

 with light-umber or rufous and duU-gi-ey. Dimensions in raches of a 

 proper clutch; (I) -67 x -48, (2) -65 x -49, (3) -6 x -45. (Plate 8.) 



