140 NESTS AMD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



Nest. — Resembles that of the Piuk-breasted Robin I P. rhodinogmtra); 

 cup-shaped, neat, beautiful ; tliick-walled, with well-rounded rim ; composed 

 of fine, greenish moss, covered outwai-dly, including the rim, with pieces 

 of silvei-y-gi-eon hchen, stuck by means of spiders' web ; lined inside with 

 a good ply of the brownish, soft, hair-like material off fern fronds, fur, &c. : 

 usually placed in the fork of a hazel, musk, or such Uke tree near a stream 

 in secluded forest retreats. Dimensions over all, 2| inches by 2^ inches 

 in depth; egg cavity, 1| inches across by li inches deep. (See illustration.) 



Eggs. — Clutch, three ; roundish in shape ; shell exceedingly thin ; 

 surface without gloss; colour, wann greenish- wliite, spotted and blotched 

 with brownish and dull-purplish maikings, especially about the upper 

 quai-ter. Most resemble those of the Flame-breasted Robin (P. phcuniccn) 

 but smaller. Dimensions in inches out of a clutch of three : (1) -65 x -55, 

 (2) -62 X -51 ; of afull clutch : (l)-68 x -53, (2) -68 x -SS.iS) -67 x -53. (Plate 8.) 



Observations. — Compared with the Pink Robin, the Rose Robin has 

 a lighter-colom-ed coat of slaty-grey, while the breast is rich rose-red. 

 It was somewhat remarkable that the nest and eggs of the lovely 

 Rose-breasted Robin remained imdiscovered for so many years. 

 These birds are fairly plentiful in the forests or scrubs of the eastern 

 coastal region from Rockingham Bay district down to the Cape Otway 

 forest, Victoria. 



However, in Victoria the movements of the Rose Robins appear to 

 be migi-atory. According to the obsei-vations of my correspondent 

 Mr. I. \V. De Lan}% who is a good field and forest obsci'ver, these Robins 

 arrive in Gippsland (notably Omeo and Jumbunna districts) about the end 

 of September, leaving again for more northern quarters diuing April. 



Apparently all the Rose Robins do not migrate, for during my excur- 

 sion to the Big Scrub, Richmond River, New South Wales, in November. 

 1891, I heard the deliglitful little songs of several of these birds among the 

 leafy i-aftors of the sciiib ; while Dr. Ramsay, during liis North 

 Queensland trip, wrote: — "One pair (of Rose Robins) noticed on the 

 margin of dense scrub : although frequently watched for horn's, no nest 

 was discovered." 



Events proved that Rose Robins had been actually breeding nearer 

 Melbourne than had been supposed by collectors, and were beUeved to be 

 the Pink-breasted species, which they gi-eatly resemble, and for which the 

 Rose-breasted birds may be easily mistaken in the bush unless shot and 

 handled. Mr. J. Gabriel " sprang a mine '' on local collectors (including him- 

 self) by obtaining a pair of birds, together with their nest and eggs, and 

 foi-warding them to the Australian Museum, Sydney, where they were 

 prouoimced and described as the Rose-breasted Robins. 



I had been working further afield, and the same season obtained, 

 through the goodness of Mr. De Lany, an authenticated nest and 

 eggs, also a skin of the dear little Robin, taken at Wombat Creek, in the 

 Glen Wills district (Victoria). 



Mr. Dc Lany observed that these Robins take their food wliilc on the 

 wing, much after the fashion of Fantails and Flycatchers, and that the 

 female bird only sits, being fed on the nest by the male. 



