A'ESTS A.VD EGGS Of AUSTKAUAN BIRDS. 467 



Tho fact already recorded by me of the foinale .-1. permnntu^ being 

 mated to a male .1. sujierciliosu.i, would tend to prove that assertion, 

 besides, oologically speaking, the eggs arc inseparable as far as outward 

 appearances go. The voices of the two species are very much alike, 

 but the " whanip "-like alarm note of .1. jiT'-onfitus is somewhat 

 coarser and deeper. 



It is called Masked on account of its face, including the car coverts 

 and throat, being black. The rest of its elegant figure is gi'cy, lighter 

 and most delicately coloured on the under parts ; bill, bluish ; eyes, 

 dark-brown. The hen bird is paler in general colour, while the young 

 have the dark plumage brownish mottled, as in the young of the 

 various other species. 



The geographical range of the Masked Wood Swallow likewise is 

 almost identical with the White-browed bird. I have noted, when we 

 have had visitations in Victoria of the latter species, there were always 

 intermingled a few odd pairs of the Masked variety, which seemingly 

 acconipanv the greater numbers of the White-browed Wood Swallow 

 on their peregrinations. When it visits Victoria it commences to 

 breed in November. 



Gould supposed the Masked Wood Swallow to bo the beautiful 

 western analogue of the White-browed variety, and referring to the 

 bird in Western Australia, quotes Gilbert: — "I have only met with 

 this species in the York and Toodgay districts. It is merely a summer 

 \'isitant here, generally making its appearance in the latter part of 

 October, and immediately commencing the task of incubation. 



" Its nest is placed in the upright fork of a dead tree, or in the 

 hollow part of the stump of a gi-ass-tree ; it is neither so well nor so 

 neatly formed as those of the other species of the group, being a frail 

 structure, externally composed of a verj' few extremely small twigs, 

 above which is a layer of fine dried grasses. I found two nests in a 

 York-gum forest, about five miles to the east of the Avon River; each 

 of these contained two eggs." 



These finds of Gilbert's are the first recorded nests of this exceed- 

 ingly fine and conspicuous Wood Swallow. 



While mentioning the western habitat of this fine Wood Swallow 

 let me give Mr. G. A. Keartland's field notes, taken diuing the 

 Calvert Expedition;- — "Early in August we passed through an 

 immense flock of these birds in a mulga scrub. Tliey appeared to be 

 migrating, and to have simply stopped to satisfy the cravings of hunger, 

 as they were soon busy amongst the grasshoppers. We camped for 

 lunch, but. before we resumed oui- journey, they had made a start. On 

 several subsequent occasions they wei'e noted, and near our camel 

 depot on August 25th they were found in company with A. melanopx 

 and A. supercilin.tiix. As we approached the northern border of the 

 desert we saw numerous flocks, whose welcome chhip was the only sound 

 that disturbed the silence of the joiuTiev. ' 



My first find of the nest of this species was, I think, in the season 

 1870, when I took one in the Malvern district, near Melbourne. Twenty 

 years afterwards, on the 1st day of December, I took another 



