440 



A'ESTS AND LGGS OF AVSTRALLAN BIRDS. 



coveiing, had been abstracted tlu'oiigli au opeuing iu the top, foniiecl 

 by bituig it nearly tlu'ough, leaving a lid. Nor is this all, for iu tlie aet 

 of picking the fruit, a small hole is left where tiie stalk joined it, and this 

 must greatly facilitate the sucking or squeezing out of the contents. 

 During the whole process the bird uses only its beak. The ground 

 underneath each of the trees was strewn with several hundreds of these 

 discarded berries, each with its lid at one end and the small hole at the 

 other." 



In January, 1898, at the Ridmioud Kiver district, Mr. W. T. Bailey 

 found a Dicaeum's nest, with the imusually full complement of four eggs. 



Breeding months, October to January, and in good seasons in the 

 south to Febiiiai-y. In some localities, probably, the season varies; for 

 instance, in Northern Queensland I saw youthful Dicajunis in July, 

 wliich did not appear more than six weeks old. 



368. — Pardalotus ornatus, Temminck. — (84) 

 P. striatum, Temminck. 



RED-TIPPED PARDALOTE. 



Figure. — Gould: Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii., pi. 38. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vul. x., p. 55. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould : Birds of Australia (1848) ; 

 also Handbook, vol. i., p. 161 (1865) ; Ramsay : Ibis, p. 298 

 (1865); North: Austn. Mus. Cat., app. {1890); Campbell: 

 Geelong Naturalist, vul. iv., p. 54 (1S95). 



Geographical Distribution. — Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, 

 South and West Australia.. 



Xest. — Constructed of fine grasses, with sometimes soft bark and 

 feathers added, and compactly bmlt (usually cup-shaped), witliin a 

 hollow of a tree. Frequently placed in the roof of an outbuilding, such 

 as a shed or dairy, or in the deserted mud-built nest of the Faii-y 

 Martin (Petrochelidon arid). In some instances the nest is placed 

 underground, the tunnel being about 101 inches in length ; terminal 

 chamber 4^ inches in diameter. 



E(j(j:i. — Clutch, three to five, usually four ; roundish oval in shape ; 

 texture of shell line ; colour, pure white, with a glos.sy surface. 

 Dimensions in inches of a clutch : (1) -72 x '57, (2) -7 x -56, (3) '7 x -56, 

 (4) -69 X -54. 



Ohsttrvationx. — The exceedingly fine Red-tipped, or as the bird is 

 frequently c<allcd. Striated Pardalote, 1 have observed breeding both in 

 tlie east and west of the southern portion of Australia. It is not 

 fovind in Tasmania, but ranges northward to the southern part of 

 (,)ueensland, and may be known by its general brownish dress above, 

 with yellowish under parts ; top of head black, wings dark, external 



