NESTS AAD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 315 



by the intersection of the leaf stalk with the vine, the side of the nest 

 being attached to the vine and the bottom supported by the loaf." 



I find from my Cardwell (North Queensland) notes, 1885, that this 

 fuR' Ycllow-nimpcd vai'iety was noticed in the open forest coimtry near 

 the margin of the scrubs. The only nest observed was incomplete, and 

 was situated in the forked branch of a slender tree, at a height of 

 alwut eight or ten feet, and overhanging a stream. 



According to notes fiu-nished me by Mr. W. B. Barnard, he found 

 a Yellow Robin breeding in the Bloomficld River district (North 

 Queensland) from August to December, wliich arc probably the usual 

 months also for the birds fuither south in the Big Scrub. 



255. — EoPSALTRiA GEORGIANA, Quoy aiid Gainuud. — (176) 

 E. griseogularis, Gould. 



GREY-BREASTED SHRIKE ROBIN. 



Figurt.—GouXd. : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii., pi. 12. 



Reference.- CsX. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. viii., p. 178. 



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



Handbook, vol. i., p. 295 (1865) ; Kanisay ; Proc Linn. Soc , 



N.S. Wales, vol. i., 2nd ser., p. 1145 (1SS6), 



GfiKjrripliicii/ Distrihutiiin. — South and West Australia. 



Xrxt. — Cup-shaped, neat, consti-ucted of bark with pieces placed on 

 pei-pendicularly, outwardly, with spiders' web ; lined inside well vnth 

 small, dead, flat leaves. Usually situated low, sometimes a foot or two 

 only from the ground, in the fork of a gi'ass or other tree, standing or 

 fallen in the forest. Dimensions over all, 3A inches by 2 inches in 

 depth ; egg cavity, 2 inches across by \\ inches deep. 



£"(/(/■<. — Clutch, two usually, possibly three occasionally ; oval in 

 .-.hape, textui'e of shell fine ; occasionally gi'ecnish in colour, like those of 

 the eastern Enpw/trice, but usually more of a yellowish or ochraceous- 

 buff, obscurely freckled, especially round the apex, with a darker shade 

 of the same colour or yellowish-brown. Dimensions in inches of a 

 clutch: (1) •84X-62, (2) •84x-61. 



Oh.'.ervatiiiiit. — In the forests of the beautiful-leafed eucalypt and 

 kaiTi (also a eucalypt) in Western Australia, I was delighted to see 

 the Grey-breasted Shrike Robin — the pi-ototypc of om- familiar Yellow- 

 breasted Shrike Robin of eastern parts. It takes its vernacular name 

 from its grey breast. Altogether it has not so much yellow about its 

 phunage as the eastern bird, which it in other respects resembles. The 

 nidification is also similar. 



The first nest I found was built in the fork of a grass-tree 

 ( Xiinthorrhaa) in open forest (see illustration). Tlie nest contained 

 a single egg. A second nest I discovered contained fledgelings, and was 



