J 14 



iVESTS AXD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



moss and little bunches of wild fruit resembling grapes. Locality, seven 

 miles from Herberton. Found, April. This illustration shows the base 

 of two small trees, heaped about with a larger pyramid of fine sticks 

 (the trees having the appearance of growing out of the heap), with a 

 smaller semi-detached heap on the right-hand side. 



Sketch 2. — Bower eight feet high, decorated with long white moss off 

 pine trees, and wild grapes. Locahty, Herberton scrub, 20th May. In 

 this instance the sticks are piled in pyramid form around a single small 

 tree or sapUng for about two-thirds of its height, with a smaller heap 

 about one and a-half feet liigh on the left side. 



Sketch 3. — Bower seen Herberton scrub, 14th May. This is exceed- 

 ingly interesting, and represents a double pile of small sticks — one four 

 and a-half feet liigh around the stem of two thin sapling trees, the other 

 one and a-half feet high to the right around the base of a large tree. 



Sketch 4. — This sketch merely shows a largo tree with its spvu- or root 

 on the right, ornamented with portions of small sticks. Herberton 

 scrub. May. 



Sketch 5. — Depicts a play-gi'ound with two miniature " hiunpy '-Kke 

 structures, built with growing ferns, roofed over with small twigs. Five 

 or six of these little arbour-hke places, which are about ten inches high, 

 belong to one play-ground. Herberton scrub. May. 



A splendid series of these magnificent birds may be seen in the Aus- 

 tralian Museum, Sydney. 



Sub-family — Timeliid^ : Babblers, &c. (In various groups). 



170. — Stipitukus malachurus, Shaw. — (201) 



EMU WREN. 



Figure. Gould: Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii., pi. 31. 

 Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. vii., p. 100. 

 Previous Descriptions of £^gs.— Ramsay : Ibis, p. 177 (1863) id. ; Gould: 

 Birds of Australia, Handbook, vol. i., p. 341 (1865). . 



Geographical Distribution. — South Queensland, New South Wales, 

 Victoria, South and West Australia, and Tasmania. 



Nest. — Oval in form (but that part which might be termed the true 

 nest is perfectly round, placed on its side ; the mouth very large (com- 

 paratively), taking up the whole of the upper part of the front. It is 

 veiy shallow, so much so that if tilted slightly the eggs would roU out, 

 they being almost upon a level with its edge. It is outwardly composed 

 of gi'ass and the yoxmg dry shoots of reeds; hned with fine grass, roots, 

 and finally a veiy fine green moss. Very loosely put together, and 

 requires to be moved very gently to prevent it from faUing to pieces 

 (Ramsay). Another example is oval, broadest at the base, with side 

 entrance near the top ; well built of grass, lycopodium, &c., with a few 



