144 



NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



Another Queensland item. My young correspondent, Mr. Ernest 

 Barnard, has kindly sent me a curious Coomooboolaroo note — a Red-capped 

 Robin fighting its own reflection in a window. The Robin attacked liis 

 shadow fierceh% not only once but on several occasions. 'i he pretty birds 

 winter about the station. 



I find from my notes that in the Bendigo district, 3rd October, 1884, 

 I took an egg of the NaiTow-billed Bronze Cuckoo (C. hasnlis) from a nest 

 of this beautiful Robin. 



Breeding season from August or September to January. About the 

 middle of the last-mentioned month (1899) my son noticed two or three 

 pairs of this Robin's nests about the Netherby Vineyard (Messrs. Graham 

 Bros.'), Ruthcrglen, Victoria, one of which had a nest containing two 

 eggs, in an apple-tree. 



11 6. — Petrceca ramsayi, Sharpe. 

 RED-THROATED ROBIN. 



Rejcrence. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. iv,, p. 172. 



Geographical Disfrihiitinn. — North-west Australia and Northern Terri- 

 toiy. 



Nest and Eggs. — Undescribed. 



Observations. — Dr. Ramsay's namesake may be distinguished from the 

 ordinary Red-capped Robin by the centre of its throat being scarlet 

 instead of black. 



117. — Melanodryas (petrceca) bicolor, Vigors and Horsfield. — (168) 

 HOODED ROBIN. 



Figure. — Gould: Birds of Australia, fol, vol iii, pi 7- 



Rc/erc7ice. —Ca.t. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. iv., p. 173. 



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



Handbook, vol. i., p. 2S4 (1S65) ; North: Austn. Mus. Cat., 



p. 105 (18S9). 



Geogrnphiral Distribution. — South Queensland, New South Wales, 

 Victoria, South, West, and North-west (?) Australia. 



Nest. — Cup-shaped, ordinary size, and substantially constructed of strips 

 of bark, coated with sliields or pieces of outer bark stuck on with spiders' 

 web, in some instances composed of fine twigs and grass ; lined inside with 

 grass, rootlets, hair, &c. Usually placed in the dead forked branch of a 

 standing or fallen tree, in a hollow part of a tree, or sometimes in a thick 

 bush in open forest parts. Dimensions over all, 3 J inches by 2 J inches in 

 depth; egg cavity, 2J inches across by lA inches deep. 



