XE^rs AXD EGOS 01' AVSTKALl.W' Bl/WS. i(jg 



lauly cloUiiil or liiiibL'recl with small gams, s;ipliiigs and under scrub. 

 We observed that the iiests of the Masked Wood Swallow were 

 invai'iably lined with yreen gi"ass, wliilc those of the White-browed had 

 (liad grass. 



The third sc.uioii iu succession (or 1897) these birds appeared in 

 Victoria with their Whito-browcd brethren. The first flock in the 

 vicinity of Melboiu-ne was noted by my son at Buniley, li9th October. 

 These bii'ds reappeared in 1898, and again in 1899. •■' 



Breeding season, in the soulh, October, November and December. 



386. — AuTAMUs ciNEREUs, ViciUot. — (75) 

 UREY-BREASTED WOOD SWALLOW. 



1- igiin. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. n., pi. n). 

 Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xiii., p. i6. 

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

 also Handbook, vol. i., p. 14S (1S65). 



(JetMjrapliiral Di.strihutiuii. — Northern TeiTitoiy, Queensland ( ?), 

 South, West, and North-west Australia. 



Neit. — Round ; compact, in some instances constructed of fibrous 

 roots ; lined with fine hair-like grasses ; in others of the stems of grasses 

 and small plants ; it is built either in a scrubby bush or among the 

 grass-like leaves of the X.aiit/iorrli(ea, and is deeper and more cup- 

 shaped than those of tlie other members of the group. (Gould.) 



Ei/t/s. — Clutch, three to four; stout oval in form; texture of shell 

 fine ; surface slightly glossy ; colour, warm or pinkish-white, boldly 

 blotched with umber, reddish-brown and dull-slate. Dimensions in 

 inches of odd examples: (1) -97 x -7, (2) -85 x -63 ; of a full clutch of 

 rounchsh examples : (1) -88 x -69, (2) -87 x "7, (3) -85 x -7, (4) -85 x -69. 



Ohxerrfitioiis. — This bird is the largest Australian Wood Swallow, and 

 is a western and northern species. 



Mr. Kendall Broadbent, if he be correct in his diagnosis of the 

 species, and not confounding it with A. melanop^, found it nesting at 

 Charlev-illc (Central Queensland). One nest was in a currajong and 

 another in a small pine. Again Mr. Broadbent reported he had found 

 a nest of the Grey-breasted Wood Swallow at Spiingsure (Queensland), 

 October (1887 or 1888), and nests with young at Barcaldine in 

 November. Mr. Broadbent noticed that there tliis Swallow builds its 



*As I mentioned in connection with the White-browed Wood Swallow, the 

 visit to Victoria for five successve !<;asons is "a record," obviously caused by 

 the disastrous drought existing (for seven years at Cooper's Creek) in the great 

 interior. 



