XESTS AND £(SGS OF MSTKALIA.V BIRDS. j i ;; 



sti-ucture ; (.oiiiposed of shreds chioHy of inelalcuca bark, foltcd outwardly 

 with spiders' webs, aud usually situated in an acacia or other tree in 

 open forest. 



Eijij*. — Clutch, two; short in fonu, more prominently rounded at one 

 end ; textm-e fine ; suiiace, slight trace of gloss ; colour, dull or yellowish- 

 white, with clouded markings of yellowish-brown and gi"ey, especially round 

 the upper quarter. Tlie character of tiie markings appears to be more 

 bliuTcd compared with those of the eggs of the other members of tliis 

 genus. Dimensions in inches of a pair: (1) -77 x 55, (2) •71x-54; of a 

 smaller-sized pair: (1) -69 x -52, (2) -67 x -54. 



Oluervatinns. — Of this northern inhabitant, wliich is plentiful in some 

 localities, Gilbert found a nest in the early part of November, which 

 appeared to have been recently occupied by young birds. 



A nest of this species is in the Australian IMuseum collection, taken 

 at Port Danvin, 1879, but the eggs were not described till 1886. 



Mr. W. B. Barnard, in a communication to me, wi-ites : — "I am 

 sending a specimen of this little Fantail for you to identify. It lays two 

 eggs and always builds in the wattle f Jrtiri/i / tree. The eggs are very 

 like those of the Black Fantail, only half the size, 'ihe little nest is built 

 of cob-webs and portions of tea-tree ( Mtlahucfi) bark, and finished off 

 underneath, the point fonning a tail two or three inches in length. It 

 always builds in the forest country from tlie beginning of October to the 

 end of November." 



92. — Rhipidur.\ .\lbic.\ud.\, North. 

 WHITE-TAILED FANTAIL. 



Figure. — North: Report Horn Expedition, pi. 6 (lower fig.) 



Reference. — Report Horn Expedition, p. 75. 



Previous Description 0/ Eggs. — North: Victorian Naturalist, vol. xvi., 

 p. II (1899), 



Geograph ical DUtrihutioti. — Central Australia. 



.Vf.v^ — Similar to those of the other members of the genus. 



J^'jy^- — Clutch, two, sometimes three (probably) ; roundish oval in 

 shape; textui'e of sheO very fine; sui-face glossy; coloiu', buily-white, 

 faintly spotted or mottled, especially on the larger end, with light reddish- 

 brown and purplish-browni. Dimensions in inches : '64 x -49. 



Observations. — The White-tailed Fantail was one of the ornithological 

 discoveries of the Horn Expedition to Central Australia. 



Mr. G. A. Keartland, who collected the bird, st^ates ; — " In the Mulga 

 scrub, on Levi Range, one of these pretty birds attracted attention. In 

 note and habit of fluttering from branch to branch it closely resembled 



