26o NESTS A.VD EGGS OF AUSTKALIAN BIRDS. 



number for a sitting, , are in tint of a dark, rich, pui-plish-brown, like 

 those of Sericornis citreogularis, with an indistinct zone at the larger 

 end of a blackish tint, and a few ill-dofined obsolete spots of the same 

 on the other parts ; they are smaller and more dot-Ukc nearer the 

 thin end, where the gi-oimd-colour is slightly lighter in tint ; they 

 measure as follows: — (A) 1x0-75 inch, (B) 0-95 x -O'TS inch. They 

 are decidedly swollen and much shorter in proportion, but othei-wise 

 very like the dark variety of the eggs of Serirnrnis citreiiijularis. 

 Mr. A. J. North, who took a nest of this species so far back as 

 October, 1878, at Cliilders, in South Gippsland, and exliibited the 

 first specimen I had seen, at the International Exhibition lield in 

 Melbourne, 1880, informs me that this species was vei-y plentiful in 

 that district up to 1881, but the numerous clearings made by the 

 ' selectors ' have since driven the bu'd to other parts. The egg, he 

 states, shows no difference from those here described, except that 

 some are slightly longer, but not so swollen as others." 



The first Pilot Bird's nest I found, and yet did not find, was at 

 Christmas, 1888. I was walking down a diy bed of a gully in the 

 Dandenongs when a bird flew out of some debris. As it was late 

 in the season, and thinking it was only debris from whence the bird 

 flew, I passed on. A friend coming down the track the day following 

 saw a bird fly from the same spot. Looking into it he observed it 

 was a nest containing a pair of eggs. 



However, my first actual find of a Pycnoptilus nest occurred 

 under the most pleasant and most agreeable of circumstances. On 

 26th January, 1893, Foundation Day (wliich I have called " All 

 Natives' Day "), Mrs. Campbell and I took the opportunity of 

 exploring a romantic fern gully on the property of Mr. John Griffiths, 

 in the Dandenongs. We were camped for luncheon. A bird up 

 gully sounded two or three notes resembling the words " guinea a 

 week," which were answered in sweet piercing notes by a bird imme- 

 diately beliind us. We took but casual notice of these pleasant bird 

 calls, but later on, when the notes were repeated again and again, 

 my curiosity was aroused. Looking through the fems behind I saw 

 a Pj/rnnjjtilvf: preening its feathers, and further search led to the 

 finding of its nest, containing a pair of eggs, in a patch of asplenium 

 fems not four feet from where we sat. While watching the bird 

 I observed a bush rat sneaking down behind, therefore I thought it 

 would be as well for me to annex the eggs instead of letting them 

 remain to be demolished by such vermin 



I proceeded to photograph the nest (see illustration), which the 

 bird did not object to, bvit when I put my fingers in to remove the 

 eggs the distress of the poor thing was pitiful. She flew on to the 

 nest and endeavoured jiluckily to defend it. I could easily have 

 knocked the bud down, but the nest and eggs were a prize good 

 enough. Tlic nest was warmly lined with feathers, in which I detected 

 Lvrc Birds', and was situated among the fronds of the forn a few inches 

 off the ground, the entrance facing down hill. I should have stated 

 that the egg's were far incubated. 



