A'A'.STJ' AXD EGGS OF AU^TKALIAN lil/iDS. 26() 



Observations — Gould writes: — "It is to Gilbert's pereeverance that 

 science is indebted for the knowledge of this now bird. His notes 

 respecting it I here transcribe : — ' Inliabits thickets of a small species 

 of Lrptospfrmiim growing among the sand-liills which nm parallel and 

 adjacent to the beach. It utters a jieculiar harsh and grating song 

 wiiich it is quite iin])ossiblc to describe, and which is so difTercnt from 

 that of every other bird I ever heard or am acquainted with, that I shall 

 have no difficulty in recognising it again wherever I may heai- it. 

 I heard it for the first time, together with the notes of many other 

 birds equally strange to me, in the vicinity of the Woiigan Hills, a few 

 weeks back, but could not then obtain a sight of the bird, although 

 I knew that it was only a few yards from me.' " In closing my manu- 

 scripts, I had just peniuxl this sentence, " The next most interesting 

 find in connection with this western form of the Coach-whip Bird will 

 be llu' diseovei-y of its nest and eggs," when, lo ! Mr. G. A. Keartland 

 kiiully placed at my disposal, for description, eggs he recently received 

 from Western Australia, collected at Bunbury, season 1898. 



219. — Sphenostom.v cristattm, Gould. — (184) 



WEDGE BILL. 



Figure. — Gould ; Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii , pi. 17. 

 Rtfeiencc. — Cat. Birds Brit, Mus., vol. viii.,p. 74. 



Pitvious Descriptions of £^»^s.— Gould : Birds of Australia. Handbook, 

 vol. i., p. 316 (1865); North: Austn. Mus. Cat., p. 71, pi. 8, 

 fig. 5 (1889). 



(je(>(irnp])ir(iJ Dixtriixition . — Interior of Australia in general. 



.Ve.s'/.— Open, cup-shaped, composed of fine twigs ; lined inside with 

 grasses, and usually situated in a low bush such as polygonum. 



EiJH". — Clutch, two to three ; nearly true oval in shape ; texture 

 of shell fine ; surface slightly glossy ; colour, light bluish-green, mode- 

 rately but boldly marked with small roundish spots and blotches, and 

 sometimes with comma-like markings of dark sepia or black and grey. 

 Dimcn.sions in inches of a clutch : (1) 10 x -68. (2) 1-0 x 67. (Plate 11.) 



Ofixermtions. — This little-known species is :\ dweller of the drear)' 

 interior wastes of Australia. 



Gould described a nest of the Wedge Bill in the British Museum 

 and the eggs from his own collection. 



Dr. Ram.say kindly gave me a pair of eggs of the Wedge Bill. Sub- 

 sequently I received similar .specimens from the Miu-chison distiict. 

 West Australia, and a beautiful pair from Mr. H. C. Burkitt, taken 

 by him at Tingatingarna, Cooper's Creek, 26th March, 1887. Therefore, 

 like the Orcoica, it would appear that the Wedge Bill sometimes lays 

 in autumn as well as the usual se<a,son embracing the months from 

 September to January, according to the rain. 



