NESTS AND EGGS Of AV ST KALI AN BIRDS. ^Cil 



FAMILY— ARTAMTD^ : WOOD SWALLOWS. 



383.--^Vr;T.\Mt's i.Et'fOGASTKit. Vnlenc.--(SO) 

 WHITE RUMPED WOOD SWALLOW. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of .\\istralia, fol., vol. ii., pi. 3j. 



Refertntf. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xiii., p. 3. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould: Birds of Australia (184S); 

 also Handbook, vol. i., p. 155 (1865) ; Hume ; Nests and Eggs 

 Indian Birds (1875), Oates' ed., vol. i., p. 353 (i8qo) : North : 

 Austn. Mus. Cat., p. 43 (1889). 



Gentjraphicfil Bixfrihiitinn. — Whole of Australia (except perhaps 

 West); al.so New Gxiinoa, Moluccas. Celebes, Timor, Flores, A'c, 

 Philippine Islands, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, and Andaman Islands. 



Nest. — Open : well constructed generally of coarse yellowish gi-asses, 

 sometimes mixed with other material, such as casuarina needles, lined 

 witli finer griss, and usually placed within an old deserted nest of the 

 Magpie Lark (QrnlJinn pirnfn ). but. not unfrequently situated in the 

 mouth of a hollow spouted limb — rarely in the naked fork of a tree. 

 Dimensions over all (including the outer mud nest, if u.sed) : 4 or 4i 

 inches by 1^ inches in depth ; egg cavity, 2^ inches by H inches deep, 



Eggn. — Clutch, three to four, usually four ; somewhat pyriform or 

 pointed oval in shape ; texture of shell fine ; surface without gloss ; 

 colour, delicate, wann or pinkish-white, softlv blotched, chieflv around 

 (he upper quarter, with light-brown or chestnut, purpli.sh-browii and 

 slate. When fresh or imblown the eggs are exceedinglv beautiful for 

 their pinkish blush. Dimensions in inches of a clutch: (1) -Ofi x -7. 

 (1) -gfi X -7. (3) •g.'S X -7. (Plate 1,5.1 



Ohservnfiniis. — This is a ven' beautiful Wood Swallow, and is probably 

 the most widelv spread species of our Artnmi. having been recorded for 

 everv locality on the Continent where there has been a collector, except 

 South-western Australia. It also ranges throughoiit Austro-Malayau 

 regions. 



It is ,a yen' fascinating bird, of chubby appearance, with tijis 

 of the swallow-like wings extending beyond the tail when the bird is 

 in a state of repose. Tts pure white chest, all the under parts, and 

 rump, look ven' clean and conspicuous compared with the dark grey 

 loTour of the rest of the plumage. 



The White-nunped Wood Swallow remains in some parts of tropical 

 Queensland during the winter time. In .Tune. Mr. K. Brondbent has 

 noticed it in Cardwell Hying in and out of the tea-tree (}frlnlriirn ) in 

 oucst of insect prey that were feeding among the blos.soms of those trees. 

 In August they move southward. Some reach Victoria in September 



