.VESTS A.VD f.CGS OF Al'STKA/lAX Hlh'DS. 



271 



Eggx. — Clutch, four to five, occa.sioiially laigor numbers, probably 

 combinaliou olutchcs ; nearly elliptical; texture of shell fine; surface 

 glossy ; colour, buflfy, clouded with pui-plish or brownish-grey, then 

 covered in a cmious manner with hair-like interlacing lines or veins of 

 dark-brown or umber. Dimensions in inches of a pair: (1) 1-16 x -74. 

 (2) 1-06 X -75. (Plate 11.) 



Observations. — This well-known bird enjoys a goodly range, probably 

 over the greater part of the eastern half of Australia. The bird may 

 be described as dark or bhickish-brown in general colour of plumage, 

 with throat, centre of breast, and a broad strip over each eve white ; 

 the tail is also largely tipped with white ; crown of the head and sides 

 of the neck greyish; bill and feet dark, the bill lighter coloured at the 

 base; eyes straw-coloured. Total length, 10 inches, including curved 

 and finely-pointed bill, 1^ inches; wing and tail each 41 inches. The 

 bird possesses a smart active appearance and is never still. 



The bulky nest-s are vciy conspicuous in the bush, several new and 

 old ones may be seen in close proximity, often in the same tree with 

 each other. The bird is found in almost any open forest coiuitry, flying 

 about in small families, making all sorts of cuiious calls and noises, 

 and often chattering in mono.syllables among themselves when hunting 

 for food. Sometimes a bird (male probably) makes a loud cat-like mew. 

 repeated nine or ten times moderately fast, while its mate perched on 

 an adjacent limb or tree answers each call with a whistle-like note. 

 So precisely are the two kinds of notes repeated alternately, that at a 

 distance they seem really to be produced by one bird. The bird's 

 remarkable cries have suggested various bush names — Cat Bird, Barking 

 Bird, Chatterer, &c. 



I have very vivid recollections of the first nest I found of this 

 species. I had some difficulty in thrusting my hand into the nest 

 because of the stout sticks of the spouted entrance pointing against me. 

 The sticks were thorny, too, being gathered from Jiiirxurin bushes. 

 Having withdrawn an egg, and never having seen the kind before, 

 I endeavoured to remove the hair-like markings, thinking thai some of 

 the lining was sticking to the .specimen. Goidd has described the nest 

 and curiously-marked eggs very well. 



From obsci'vations I have come to the conclusion that nests are used 

 for roosting piu^oses, diuing winter at all events. Mr. Hermann Lau, 

 in his interesting note on the habits of this bird in Queen.sland, partly 

 bears me out. He writes: — "These birds make a barking noise when 

 climbing from branch to branch to the top of a tree. Strictly gre- 

 garious, their assemblage in most cases consists of twelve individuals. 

 They are always to be found in Queensland on sandy soil overgiown 

 with shrubby trees such as the wild lemon, sandal-wood, melaleuca and 

 hakca, red eucalypts appearing amongst them like giants. These birds 

 perfomi their business — feeding, nest^building, sleeping — together. 

 The nest is a large dome-shaped edifice, and with so many helping 

 hands, or rather bills, is constiiicted in a day or two : I have myself 

 observed every bird in a flock having a dry stick and carrying it to 

 the same nest. In this way three or four snug houses are built, one of 



