44^ 



Ai:STS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



spout, aud is composed entirely of wiry rootlets and gi'asses, neither 

 bark or feathers being used, as when placed in the hollow limb of a 

 tree, and that the burrows of the Pardalote can easily be detected from 

 those of the White-breasted Swallow by being smaller and rounder. ' 



We know it is a trait in the character of this Pai'dalote, especially 

 in the interior, to occupy the old homes of other birds, notably the 

 !<nug nest of the Fairy Mai-tin. Tliis fact was known to Dr. Ramsay 

 long ago, and he states, with regard to the Striated Pardalote, in 

 speaking of a visit to the Bell Rivei", in the Molong distiict : — " They 

 took possession of their usual breeding places — a batch of old nests of 

 the Fairy Martin ( Petrocheliihin arie/J. These they lined with grass 

 and stringy-bark, making a nest similar to that of Parihilutus punttatus. 



" About three weeks after the Pardalotes had taken possession of 

 tliese nests, the rightful owners retuined, but finding the usiu^pers 

 miwilling to turn out, the Martins contented themselves by building 

 new nests, and repaiiiug those that had been broken down. 



The breeding months are from September to December, perhaps 

 including January, during which period probably two or more broods 

 are reared. One extraordiuai-y season eggs were taken in tlie Mallee 

 during July. Both parents assist in incubation. 



At Chinchilla, Queensland, Mr. K. Broadbent found what he 

 believed to be a local race of P. .<//•«;?«< ( oriidtua), which has the first 

 and third primaries only, instead of the whole number, edged with 

 white, while the speculum is uniform scarlet in colour. 



369. — Pardalotus ornatus (sub-species) assimilis, Ramsay. 

 ORANGE-TIPPED PARDALOTE. 



Reference. — Cat. Birdi Brit. Mus., vol. x., p. 56. 



GeiKjrii [iliirtil IJi'itrihiifidii . — Queensland, New South Wales, and 

 Victoria. 



.AV.vY and Eyyx. — Resemble those of the Red-tipped Pardalote 

 (P. iirnatus) and placed in similar situations. 



Olixcrvdtumn. — Mr. Robert Hall's diligence as a field naturalist was 

 rewarded by his finding P. a.<<.si/iii/i.^ in Victorian forests. A note of 

 the occmTence appeared in the Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales, 

 1899, p. 472, as " A phase of the Sub-species Pardalotus assimilis, 

 Ramsay.' When one has to divide a \H7»-species into phases, there is 

 a tendency to an over elaboration of details, so perplexing to students. 

 But possibly Mr. Hall is conect by pointing out these phases, and 

 wishes to prove that they are merely intermediate between P. ornatus 

 and P. affinis; therefore, P. ornatus, P. assimilis, and P. affinis 

 are synonymous. P. ornatus and P. assiini/is may be so, but P. affinis 

 nuist stand as a good species. Gould was a keen discerner of species. 

 Moreover, Mr. Hall will have gieat difficulty in proving the speculum 



