3i8 



A'ESTS AXD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



In his interesting description of a northern trip, Mr. D. Le Souef, 

 concerning the Fly Robin, wiites : " Near the foot of the range, but still 

 about 800 feet above sea-level, we found several nests of the Ashy-fronted 

 Flycatcher (Hetcromyias cinereifron.^). The bird its?lf was shy, and 

 on only one occasion did we see one leave lier nest, when she was promptly 

 secured. The nests were pretty stnictiu-es, and all those foimd were 

 built in young lawyer palms either on or near the crown ; only one fresh 

 egg was found in each nest. The birds seemed to choose the thickest 

 patches of undergi-owth to build in, and when disturbed darted away 

 among the low bushes, and we did not see one fly into the trees above; 

 they ai-e in consequence difficult to catch sight of. I have watched a 

 pair hunting about for their insect food on the ground among the dead 

 leaves, and at first thought they were Robins of some kind. The habits 

 of the bird, its nest and eggs, all agree far more closely with Robins than 

 with Flycatchers, and I do not know why they should have been called 

 by the latter name." 



Breeding months, September to December, or later. 



258. — Pachyceph.\la mel.\nura, Gould. — (115) 

 BLACK-TAILED THICKHEAD. 



Figure— Go\xM : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii., pi. 66. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. viii., p. 185. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Ramsay: Proc. Linn. See, N.S. Wales, 



vol. vii., p. 47 (1882) ; Campbell: Southern Science Record (1883) ; 



also Geelong Naturalist (1896) ; North : Austn. Mus. Cat., pi. 12, 



fig. 12 (1889). 



Geographical Distrihwtioii. — Northern Territory, Queensland, also 

 New Guinea, Moluccas, Louisiade Archipelago, New Britain and 

 adjacent islands. 



Nest. — Cup-shaped, shallow, rather scant}' structure of fine roots and 

 twigs, lined with rootlets and grass, through the bottom of which the 

 eggs can be seen; it is about 3 or 4 inches in diameter by H inches 

 deep (Ramsay). 



Eggs. — Two, possibly three occasionallv ; round oval in shape ; 

 texture of shell fine, with a trace of gloss upon the smiace ; colour, 

 light vellowish-white, with markings, mostly about the upper quarter, 

 of dark-olive or lunber, having the appearance of spots and smudges 

 struck on obliquely or in a do^^-nward direction ; a few grey markings 

 underlie the siirface. Dimensions of an average of three examples : 

 •83 X '63 inches. 



Ohservntinii.f. — I am very dubious about the wisdom of Dr. Ramsay, 

 after skipping theintermediat* localities on his " Tabular List," inserting 

 this extreme northern species into the Dawson River district column. 



