NESTS AND EGGS OF AZ'STRAT.TAN B/RDS. 541 



Xest. — Flat, slightlv concave ; constnictcd of greyish, dead, 

 branching twigs, apparently broken off the trees by the birds. One nest 

 from Western Australia has a few portions of grass-tree ( Xanthorrhrio ) 

 needles intermixed; usually situated on the horizontal forked branch 

 of a tree — eucalypt. melaleuca, &c. Dimensions. 9 or 10 inches in 

 diameter by 2 inches in thickest part. 



Eqgs. — Clutch, two ; long oval in shape ; texture fine ; surface 

 slightly glossy ; colour, pure white. Dimensions in inches of an odd 

 example from Western Australia : 1-74 x M7; of a proper clutch from 

 Central Australia: (1) 1-69 x 1-25, (2) 1-56 x 1-22: of a set from 

 Northern Queensland: fl) 1-72 x M2, (2) 1-65 x 1-OS 



Ohxervfifinnx. — If this species embraces Gould's doubtful P. hrarhi/p- 

 fertix* — the western variety — its geographical range is wide, ex- 

 tending from Western Australia round to North Queensland (where 

 it is the common species met with), and including Central South 

 Australia. 



Like the other members of its genus, this Frogmouth exliibits con- 

 siderable variation in size and colour, but, as Gould points out, it may 

 Jie readilv distinguished from every other Australian species of 

 Podargi bv its smaller size and by the beautiful, delicate, moth-like, 

 painted plimiage. 



A nest of this Frogmouth was taken for me at Quindalup, 21st 

 October, 1889, during my visit to Western Australia. It was situated 

 about ten or twelve feet from the ground in a paper-bark tree 

 (Mflnlenra ). and contained two eggs, one unfortunately being broken. 

 In Western Australia the nest is sometimes placed in the fork of a 

 grass-tree (Xanfhnrrlirra ) as well as in eiicalypts. 



With regard to the bird in its more northern habitat, Mr. Le Souef 

 records: — "The nest of this bird was found on November 25th, 1896, 

 and contained two eggs, much incubated ; on the same day another 

 nest was discovered which contained two young ones covered with 

 white down, and about a week old. In both instances the male was 

 sitting on the nest, the female being in a neighbouring tree ; and in the 

 ^'arious nests of this bird that I have found, in every instance so far, 

 when I have secured the sitting bird, either on eggs or young, it has 

 on dissection proved to be the male. 



" Tliey are sleepy-looking bii-ds. and do not as a rule leave the nest 

 until almost within one's reach, and then only to fly leisurely to another 

 tree not far off, where they can be easily secured. Occasionally I 

 have noticed the female resting close to the male as he sits on the nest, 

 but as a rule they are on a neighbouring tree, and the report of a gun 

 close bv does not seem to disturb them much. The present nest was 

 built on the horizontal branch of a eucalyptus, about fifteen feet from 

 the gi-ound, being almost flat and composed of twigs without any lining." 



• I am not yet prepared to admit that P. hmchyptcrus and P. phali?no:des are 

 really identical. 



