XESrS AXD EGGS OF ALSTKALIAX BIRDS. 



SO? 



" 1 dug up tliu i-luinp of gi'ass conUiiujiig llic uost by \\\v roots and 

 took it to our cauip and packed it safely away ; 1 pliotographed it before 

 I took tlie eggs. The inside of the nest is lined with a kind of composi- 

 tion just like cardboard.* It is the most peculiar lining 1 ever saw for 

 a nest; the inside looks like a very small hollowed out pumjikin 

 possessing hard sides. Not even a leaf or feather waa inside, only the 

 peculiar white cardboard composition. The 'ront part of the nest looks 

 like that of Menura superba, only, of course, much smaller; the egg 

 chamber is the same shape as that of the latter species, and the eggs 

 can be seen within by a person when standing in front. 



" The following persons forming my nesting party were with me 

 when the nest was found, namely, Messrs. Frank Jackson, L. Vesper, 

 and J. McEuerny. 



"The finding of tiie set of Atrichias eggs natiu'ally cau.scd gi'eat 

 excitement in our camp, but the only thing we regret is that we could 

 not get a chance t-o shoot the bird, as she never returned to the nest, 

 although the four of us waited three and a-half hours." 



Three and a-half days would not have been too long if only a female 

 liad been secured. The discovei-y of a second nest and eggs of the 

 Africliia will be awaited with gi-eat interest, not onl}- by all ornith- 

 ologists and oologists in Australia, but in other lauds. 



In conclusion, I must express my indebtedness to Mr. S. W. Jackson 

 for his goodness in sending mc these rare eggs for examination and 

 description, also for the beautiful picture illustrating the site of the 

 nest in the cedar scrub. (See illustration.) 



FAMILY— MENURID^ : LYRE BIRDS. 



416. — Menura supeuba, Da vies. — (N9) 

 LYRE BIRD. 



I'igiirf. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. lu., pi. 14. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xiii., p. 661. 



I'rivioiis Descriptions of Eggs. — Ramsay : Proc. Zool. Soc, p. 49 



(1868); Campbell: Southern Science Record (1882); North: 



-Vustn. Mus. Cat., pi. 10, fig. 4 (iS8g|. 



(!i(i<ir<i iihical Distrihiitinn . — New South Wales. 



*.Mr. Jacksun kindly gave me a sample ul this material for examination. 

 It is a vegetable substance, probably rotten wood, worked together when wet. 

 -.V.J.C. 



