258 NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



210. — CiNCLOSOMA MARGiNATi'M, Sharpe. 

 NORTHERN OR BLACK-VENTED GROUND BIRD. 



Refnenci. — Cat. Birds Bril. Mus , vol. vii , p. 336. 



Geographical Distribution. — North-west Australia. 



Nest and Eggs. — Undescribed. 



Oliservdllnns. — According to Dr. Sharpe, this species comes nearest 

 to v. castdiii'otliiira.i-, whicli it replaces in North-west Australia. 



211. — Pycnoptilus floccosus, CJould. — (207) 

 PILOT BIRD. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., supp,, pi. 27. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus,, vol, vii., p. 342. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Campbell ; Southern Science Record 



(1882) ; also Nests and Eggs. Austn. Birds, pi. i, fig. 207 (1883) ; 



Ramsay: Proc. Linn. See, N.S Wales, vol. i, 2nd series, 



p. 1139, pi. 20 (1886); North: Austn. Mus Cat., pi. 9, fig. 6 



(1889). 



Geographical Distrihutioti . — New South Wales and Victoria. 



Nest. — Oval or roundish in shape, with a side entrance ; composed 

 outwardly of portions of dead fronds, long wire-like roots (chiefly of 

 ferns), and broad leaves, somewhat loosely put together ; lined inside 

 with fine bark or grass, then warmly with feathers. Altogether not 

 unlike, in miniature, the nest of a Lvre Bird (Meiuira ). Usually placed 

 on or near the ground amongst ferns, sword-grass, or in forest debris. 

 The entrance has a little arch, also a landing-place. Dimensions : 

 outside circumference 20 inches, or 7 inches in length by 6 inches 

 across; inside diameter {i.e., from entrance to back wall) 3 inches; 

 entrance about \\ inches across. 



Eggs. — Clutch, two to three ; roundish oval in form ; texture of 

 shell fine ; surface very glossy ; colour, nearly a uniform fuscous or dark 

 purplish-brown tint, except on the apex, which is of a still darker 

 shade ; also, aioimd the upper quarter and below the darker shade is 

 a curious indi.stinct belt of very fine crack-like, wliitish rings. Dimensions 

 in inches of a proper pair: (1) 1-06 x -76, (2) 1-05 x -77. (Plate 11.) 



Observations. — Tlierc was some mystery about the habitat of this 

 bird when it was first revealed to science by Gould. It was supposed 

 to come from the interior of New South Wales. It is tnie that the 

 Pilot Bird is found in New South Wales, but in the forested tracts 



