^ESTS AND EGOS 01- AUSIUALIAN UiA'VS. ^^ 



354. — MvzA.NTiiA (Ma.nukuina) lutea, Gould. (3jj) 



YELLOW MINER. 



/■igiirc.—Go\l\d: Ijirds ul Austtalui, ful., vul. iv., pi. 78. 

 Kejerenci. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. i.\., p. 2(12. 



GetKjidiilucdl Uistriliiitidii. — Nurth-wost Austnilia and Nurtliuru 

 Territory. 



Xc-it and Eijijs. — Uudescrilx'd. 



Obscrvfifiiinx. — Gould coiisidci-s this to Ix; tlie finest species of tho 

 genus, exceeding ;is it does every other, both in size and in the brilliancy 

 of its colouring. Absolutely nothing is known of its natiu'al economy. 



355. — AcANTHociLEUA CARUNcuLATA, Latham. — (331) 

 RED WATTLE BIRD. 



Pigiiri: — Gould ; Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iv., pi. 55. 



Kcfirciice. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. ix., p. .163. 



Prci'ious Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould : Birds of Australia (1.S4S) ; 



also Handbook, vol. i., p. 539 (1S65) ; North : Austn. Mus. 



Cat., p. 215, pi. 12, fig. 5 (iiSi)(j) ; Campbell : Proc. Ausln. 



Assoc, vol. vii., p. 642 (1S98). 



Gtixjrdpltical Distribution. — South Queensland, New South Wales, 

 Victoria, South and West Australia. 



XiM. — Open, occasionally somewhat Hat ; composed of twigs and 

 strips of bark matted together, in Western Austraha, but iu the east 

 composed of twigs ; lined with grasses or soft bark, wool, and a few 

 feathers. Dimensions over all, G to 7 inches; egg cavity, 31 inches 

 across by 2 inches deep. Variously situated, from a low, open bush 

 up to closely-set branchlets, or mistletoe clumjj of a tall tree. 



Eijijs. — Clutch, two to three ; oval or short oval in shape ; 

 texture lino ; surface slightly glossy ; colour, pinkish-buff or salmon- 

 tint, blotched and spotted, especially around the ape.x, with rich 

 rcddis':-browu, and dull purplish-grey. Dimensions of clutches iu 

 inches, eastern examples: (1) 1-26 x -9, (2) 1-25 x -92; examples from 

 Western Austraha are usually rounder in fonu, ground-colour a lighter 

 pinldsh tone, and arc smaller iu size: (1) TIG x -87, (2) ri5 x '80. 

 (Plate 14.) 



Ohservationa. — The restless and shy Wattle Bird, with a curious call, 

 hard to describe in words, but sounding something Ukc " up with the 



