XUSTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 219 



173. — Sphenuua longirostris, Gould. — (203) 

 LONG-BILLED BRISTLE BIRD. 



Figure. — Gould: Birds of Australia, fol.. vol. iii., pi 33. 



Reference.— Ca.1. Birds Brit. Mas., vol. vii., p. 105. 



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

 Handbook, vol. i., p. 344 (1865); Kamsay ; I'roc. Linn. Sol, 

 N,S, Wales, vol. i,, 2nd ser., p, 1143 (188O) ; North: Austn. 

 Mus. Cat., p. 126, pi. 8, fig. 15 (1889). 



Geographical Distribution. — West Australia. 



Ne!it. — Foiincd of dry, wiry grass, without any lining; more globular 

 thaji those of the Maluri, but, like them, with an opening in the side ; 

 it is rather a large size, iind built in a. clump of coarse grass, sheltered 

 by an overhanging dead bush (Gilbert). Dimensions : 6 inches in length, 

 5 inches in width, and 4 inches in height (North). 



Eggs. — Clutch, two, and possibly more ; colour, dull-wliitc, minutely 

 dotted, spotted and freckled all over with wood-brown and purplish-brown 

 markings, particularly towards the larger end, where, intermingled with 

 clouded blotches of dark-hlac, they become confluent and form an irregular 

 zone. Dimensions in inches: (1) -91 x -73, (2) -9 x -72 (North). 



Observations. — The Long-billed Bristle Bird is the western but smaller 

 type of the preceding species. 



A nest of the Long-billed Bristle Bird in the Australian Miiseum, 

 according to the Catalogue of that institution, was taken by Mr. George 

 Masters, at King George's Sound (West Australia), in September, 1868, 

 and is described as oval in foim, with a large entrance at the side, and 

 is composed entirely of long, dried, hollow grass stalks, with a little grass 

 of a finer description placed inside at the bottom of the nest. The nest 

 contained two eggs, and was found amongst some dried vegetation close 

 to the gi'ound. 



174. — Sphenura broadbenti, McCoy. 



RUFOUS BRISTLE BIRD. 



Figure — Gould: Birds of Australia, fol., supp , pi. 25. 

 Reference. — Ca.1 Birds Brit. Mus.. vol. vii. p 106. 

 Previous Description of Eggs.— 'North : Proc. Linn. Soc, N S. Wales, 

 vol. xxii., p 58 (1897). 



Geographical Distribution. — Victoria and South Australia (l). 



Nest. — Oval-shaped, with side entrance ; somewhat loosely constructed ; 

 composed externally of dried plant stems, wiry fibrous roots, and dried 



