57^ 



A'ESTS AXD tGGS Of AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



This Cuckoo, as shown in Dr. Ramsay's statement, has been known 

 to deposit its egg in a nest containing other species of Cuckoos' eggs. 

 Here is a couplet from Mr. Brent's Tasmanian field notes, which he 

 kindly fiu-nishcd me with : — " I liad the exceptionally good fortune 

 to find a nest of our httle Browntail ( Acanthiza), containing two eggs 

 of the parent bird, together with one cg^ each of the Fan-tailed, 

 Bronze, and Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoos — a nice lot, and all fresh." 



" In December last (1895) we came across a nest of the httle Brown- 

 tail, in some short bushes, containing two eggs of the Acanthiza and 

 one of the Bronze Cuckoo. Having nothing to carry them home in, 

 we left them for three days, and upon retui'uiug for them we found the 

 nest contained only one Acauthiza's egg, one Bronze Cuckoo's, and also 

 one Fan-tailed Cuckoo's; the other shell of the Acauthiza's egg we 

 picked up jvist outside of the nest." 



Since compiling my list of foster-parents for the Fan-tailed Cuckoo, 

 Mr. C. C. Brittlebank informs me he noticed a fully -fledged young one 

 swelling out the open nest of a Rufous-breasted Thickhead, and that 

 he saw a Yellow-rumped Tit ( Aanithiza) and Yellow-faced Honcyeater 

 (P. chrysoj)s), both feeding a young Cuckoo. 



452. — Cacomantis vakioloscs, Horsfield. — (380) 

 C. i/isperatus, Gould. 

 C dumeturum, Gould. 



SQUARE-TAILED CUCKOO. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iv., pi. Hy. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xix., p. 272. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs.- — Hurst : Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S. Wales, 

 vol. iii., 2nd 'ier., p. 421 (1888) ; North : Rec. Austn. Mus. 

 vol. ii., p. t5 (1892) ; Campbell : Victorian Naturalist (1S9S). 



Gedjjriipliicri/ Di.^l rihiii ion. — Australia in general; also Timor and 

 Molucca Islands. 



Egy-'i. — Stout oval in shape ; bextiu'e of shell fine ; surface glossy ; 

 colour, dull or pearly-white, with a band of blotched and spotted 

 markings of umber and purplish-grey round the upper quarter. 

 Altogether tiie egg is suggestive of those of the Afi/iayra type of Fly- 

 catcher.s. Dimensions: (1) -75 x "G, (2) -72 x -57, (3) -71 x -54. 

 (Plate 17.) 



Observations. — There has been some little confusion about tiie 

 identity of the Square-tailed Cuckoo (Curuhis variulmn.'i, Horsf.^ It 

 now appears that both Gould's C. insperdtiix and C dumitiirvrn are 

 none otiicr than the original C. variolusw! of Dr. llorsficld, therefore 

 the bird, in the season, ranges over Australia, liiiiiuing out in uiuubere 

 as the southern seaboard is appi'oached. 



