270 NESTS AXD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



There was a relic of the Mitchell exploring party to Central Australia, 

 1835, in the Dobroyde collection, in the shape of an egg of the Wedge 

 Bill, whicli bird, however, was unknown to science in those days, and 

 was not described tiU two years afterwards by Gould. 



During the progress of the Horn Scientific Expedition in Central 

 Australia, in the winter of 1894, a nest of the Wedge Bill was found, 

 containing a hard sot egg. Again, when with the Calvert Expedition, 

 Mr. Keartland writes: — "This bird appears to have a veiy wide range 

 in West Australia. Along the Cue road its notes were frequently 

 heard, and birds were plentiful near Lake Way. At our camel depot 

 on Brockinan Creek, during August, I obtained a number of specimens, 

 and on several occa.sions killed the pair at one shot. In three cases, 

 males in immature plumage, with horn-coloured bills, were found mated 

 to adult females ; wliilst at other times the sexes could not be dis- 

 tinguished without chssection. The Wedge Bill delights in open country 

 in which low bushes of dense foliage exist. Their nests are usually 

 placed in the latter, about three feet or less from the gi-ound, and are 

 built of fine twigs, cup-shaped, and lined with soft grass. Like Orenica 

 crUtatn, the Wedge Bill is a most accomphshed ventriloquist." 



Writing from Point Cloates (West Australia), Mr. Tom Carter 

 states; " Sphenoxtiima rrisfntum is a common bird here and in the 

 Gascoyne. district. One is apt to confuse it with the Bell Bird Orroira 

 rrixfnfn. Both biids arc fond of dense scrub, cspeciallj' thick ' ming-a ' 

 and ' quarong ' (both local names) biishes. The Wedge Bill is particu- 

 larly wary, much more so than the Bell Bird, which is often tame. 

 The song of the AVedge Bill is heard all day in winter and most of the 

 rest of the year. It has a rich, metallic, ringing note repeated twelve 

 or fifteen times without a break. I have heard bushmen describe it 

 as ' Sweet Kitty Lintol ' (strong accent on last syllable). The bird 

 often winds up witli a double metallic ringing note in addition." 



220. — PoMATORHiNUS TEMPORALIS. Vigors and Horsfield. — (292) 

 BABBLER OR CHATTERER. 



Figure. — Gould: Birds of Australia, fol., vol iv , pi. 20. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol vii., p. 41S 



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

 Handbook, vol, i. p 480 (1865): Ramsay: Trans. Phil. Soc , 

 N S. Wales (1S65) ; North : Austn Mus, Cat . pi. 9, fig. 7 (1889). 



Geocjraplura] Dintrihufion. — Queensland, New Sovith Wales, Vic- 

 toria, and South Australia. 



.Vcs■^ — Bulky, round, with semi-spouted or hooded side entrance ; 

 composed outwardly of rough sticks ; lined inside with tufts (including 

 roots) of grass, bark, wool, &c. Usually conspicuously placed at the 

 extremity of forked branches of a low tree or in a sapUng. Dimensions, 

 circumference about 42 inches, or diameter 12 inches; internal diameter, 

 4 to 5 inches ; entrance, about 2 inches across. 



