XESTS AXD EGGS Of AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 303 



I did not notice iu\y < '. n ujriijtthirix near Cooktown myself ; but they were 

 plentiful at Rockhanipton. The bird is found in the open forest country, 

 and I only lieard it utter one note — a single dear low whistle, produce<l 

 slowly. Govdd, on Gilbert's authority, states that it utters a loud dis- 

 cordant note ; but personally I only heard the one sound. A pair of 

 thoni had their nest in a largo eucalyptus tree, about two hundretl yards 

 from the house where I was stopjiing, and they did not appear veiy shy, 

 and were e;isily approached within .shooting distAucc. Tlie.sc birds were 

 not plentiful, and seemed to consort in pairs, it being breeding time. 

 The bird will sometimes sit close on the nest until the climber is within 

 a few feet of hei', as occiuTcd when the native went up the tree for the 

 eggs I am now desciibing, and .she then only flew a short distance to a 

 neighbouring tree, where in the interests of science I was able to se<'ure 

 her." 



244. — CuACTici'S i.F.ucoPTERUs, Gould.— (101) 



WHITE-WINGED BUTCHER BIRD. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Miis., vol. viii., p, 98. 



Previous Descriftion 0/ Eggs — Campbell : Victorian Naturalist (1888). 



Geographical Di.ttrihiitioii. — -West Australia. 



Xe.st. — Very similar to that of (,'. dtxtructur, composed of dead twigs, 

 lined inside with a. goodly ply (about h inch in thickness) of grass. 

 Dimensions over all, 7 inches by .'5 inches in depth ; egg cavity, 4 inches 

 across by 2 inches deep. 



Eiiija. — Clutch, three to four ; oval or round oval in shape ; texture 

 of shell fine ; surface glossy ; colour, usually warmish-grey or light- 

 brown, blotched and spotted, especially round the upper quarter, with 

 reddish-bro\\ai and dull-purplish-brown, with here and there a minute 

 ink-like dot. Sometimes the reddish markings coalesce in the form of a 

 patch on the apex. Similar to those of C. destruetor or C. cinereiis. 

 Dimensions in inches of a proper clutch: (1) 1'34 x '84, (2) 1-3 x '93, 

 (3) 1-26 X •94; of a smaller-sized set: (1) 1-26 x -9, (2) 1-26 x -89, 

 (3) 1-2 x -86. 



Ohservalirinit. — This species inhabits Wo&teni Australia. As Gould 

 remarks, it is very closely allied to 6'. f/e.ifriirtor and C rinerriis, but differs 

 from the former in the white marks on the wings being much more exten- 

 sive. This, I may add, strikes an observer in the field as the bird, more 

 particularly the male, is seen flying from tree to tree. For food, amongst 

 other small fry, the White-winged Butcher Bird is veiT partial to the 

 White Eyes ( Zo^terapx fimildi ). 



Tlie sets of eggs above described were taken nt Quindalup by 

 Mr. J. Harris, October, 1889, the vcar of mv visit to Western Australia. 



