NESTS AND EGGS OF AJ'STRMIAN BIRDS. 22=; 



:5nl Dooombor, 1886.- — Nost witli four ogijs. tlirco others building in 

 rushes in Caulfield swamp. 



Gill December, 1888. — Nest with tln-ee eggs, in tea-tree swamp, near 

 Heidelberg. 



Breeding months August or Sepleiubc^r to ,Ianu:uy. 



180. — Megalurus galactotes, Tcmniinck. — (244) 



TAWNY CxRASS BIRD. 



Figure.-— Go\x\d: Birds of Australia, fol , vol. iii , pi. 35 

 Reftreiice.—Cax. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. vii.. p. 127. 

 Prtvious Description 0/ Eggs.—North : Proc. I.inn. See, N.S. Wales, 

 vol. X., 2nd ser., p. 217 (1895). 



(,'etii/rti/iliiivi/ Dintnhution. — West and North-west Australia, Northern 

 Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria (>.). 



Nest. — Deep, cup-shaped, slightly domed or naiTowed at the top ; 

 outwardly composed of dried swamp grasses ; lined inside with feathers 

 (North). 



Egg.i. — Clutch, three ; precisely similar in colour and markings to those 

 of its congener, M. (jramineua, but are slightly larger, being of a reddish- 

 white gi-ound-colour, freckled all over with purplish-red markings, which 

 predominate, as usual, on the thicker end of the egg. Dimensions in 

 inches ; -8 x -58 (North). 



OhxirvntintiK. — A few Tawny Grass Birds were observed in the long 

 herbage in the vicinity of our Cardwell camp. Northern Queensland. As 

 Gould observed, the bird rarely takes wing unless closely hunted, its 

 flight appearing difficult or weak, being more like the actions of a young 

 bird or fledgeling. 



The first authenticated nest of this scarce species was found at Coo- 

 mooboolaroo. I give Mr. North's account of the circumstances connected 

 with its finding. He states : — " Although the i-ange of the Tawny Grass 

 Bird extends over the .greater portion of Northern and Eastern Queens- 

 land and Northern New South Wales, it is of so shy and retiring a 

 disposition that it is a species seldom met with, and only on one occasion 

 have I heard of its nest being found. Tlie late Mr. George Barnard, of 

 Coomooboolaroo, Queensland, shortly before his decease, informed me 

 that while collecting .specimens of Micro-lepidoptora on his station, on 

 26th October, 189.3, he flushed one of these birds from the rush- 

 bordered bank of a dry creek, and after a diligent search succeeded in 

 finding its nest at the bottom of a tuft of long rushes. The nest con- 

 tained three fresh eggs, two of wliicli he imfortunately broke. The 

 remaining egg has recently (1895) been forw.irded to me for examination 

 by Mr. Charles Barnard." 

 1.5 



