476 A'£STS A.Vl) £GGS Ol- AVSTKALLAN BIRDS. 



same, a few leaves (generally strips of jiandauus leaf), the hair-like 

 fibre of a palm (Varyota), and similar materials. One tree contained 

 about fifty nests, often solitai-y, but usually three or fom- together in 

 a cluster, sometimes so closely placed as to touch each other. 

 (Macgillivray — Gould). 



A nest in the collection of Mr. Dudley Le Souef may be described 

 as large and bulky, with a hooded entrance iu the side near the top; 

 composed chiefly of fibre and tendrils, and Hned with the finer portions 

 of fibre. Dimensions : circumference, 2 feet ; length, 8 inches ; entrance, 

 1^ inches across. 



Eggs. — Clutch, two to three ; true oval in fox-m ; textm'e of shell 

 fine ; surface glossy ; colour, delicate bluish or greenish-white, spotted 

 and blotched, usually only about the apex, vrith mfous or reddish- 

 brown and dull-pmple. Dimensions in inches of proper clutches : 

 A (1) 1-14 X -76, (2)1-13 X 77, (3)1-12 x -76 ; B (1) 1-2 x -83, (2) 1-14 x -8, 

 (3) 1-13 x -8. (Plate 16.) In an exceedingly fine series of these eggs 

 iu Mr. Le Souef's collection there are specimens almost devoid of 

 markings, and others ranging up to those fairly numerously marked, 

 while some have the markings only on the apex in fine speckles or rich 

 blotches. 



Observations. — The Australian Caloi-nis or Shining Starling is the 

 most beautiful of its genus, and besides extra-Australian localities, 

 is foimd in Northern Queensland, where it is a stationary species. 



The Calornis is gi-egarious, breeding in colonies in the same tree 

 season after season. There is such a tree at the rear of the Town Hall, 

 Geraldton (Queensland), where the bkds have nested for years, notwith- 

 standing it is now surrounded by the dwelhngs of man. 



Macgillivray, who furnished Gould with interesting notes of the 

 habits and nidification of the Calornis, stated that during the early 

 part of his sojourn at Cape York, the Calornis was often seen passing 

 rapidly over the tree tops in small flocks of a dozen or more. In their 

 flight they reminded him of the English Starhng, and like it, made 

 a chattering noise while on the wing. One day a native took him to 

 a breeding place in the centre of a dense scrub, where there was a 

 large cotton-tree standing alone, with its branches hterally hiuig with 

 the pensile nests of tliis bird. 



In the '■ Proceedings of the Zoological Society " (1875), Dr. E. P. 

 Ramsay writes : — " This is one of the most common birds in the scrubs 

 of the Herbert Eiver. They breed in companies, seemingly all through 

 the year, making large bidky nests of grass and fine twigs with a side 

 opening, hanging from the ends of the leafy boughs in clusters or 

 singly ; at times the branches break off with the weight of the nests 

 and their contents. On the Herbert River I noticed they gave prefer- 

 ence to a small leaved species of fig i-escmbling Ficus ■iiirinyiftil i<i ; 

 and, before a colony began to build, the twigs on many of the branches 

 were broken and began to wither, and hanging down, at a distance 

 resembled in colour the brown nests of this species. I noticed this on 

 two occasions, and remarked to Inspector Johnstone that the birds 



