574 



NESTS AND EGGS OF AV ST KALI AN BIRDS. 



When in New South Wales, recently, I had the pleasure of examin- 

 ing some of these new eggs in the collection of Mr. S. W. Moore, at 

 Homcbush ; in fact, he kindly presented me with one, together with 

 tlic jsair of Wliite-shaftod Fantail's taken from the same nest. Mr. 

 Moore foimd, or wa^ present at the finding of, the following nests con- 

 taining eggs of the Square-tailed Cuckoo; — At Haslcms Cieek, about 

 ten miles from Sydney, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, date, 4th December, 

 1891 ; at Eastwood, thirteen miles from Sydney, White-shafted 

 Fantail (two nests), date 26th December, 1891 ; ditto 9th December, 

 1893; cUtto 16th December, 1893. 



Further interesting finds were made in Victorian forests. During 

 October, 1897, Mr. G. E. Shepherd found the Cuckoo's egg with two 

 eggs of the Scarlet-breasted Robin, and Mr. J. Gabriel took another, 

 together with a pretty set of the Rose-breasted Robin's, in December 

 last year (1897). 



My son Archie has handed me the following note : — " 31st Decem- 

 ber, 1896. — Observed a pair of Scarlet Robins feeding a fully-flcdged 

 Brush Cuckoo, which was perched on the naked branch of a tree, near 

 Bayswater. Both male and female Robins were tending it. After 

 darting to deposit food in the Cuckoo's mouth, the little Robins would, 

 alternately, always sit on the branch, a foot or two away, for sevei-al 

 seconds, as if seriously contemplating the importance of their charge, 

 before flying off again. " 



Mr. Shepherd has observed, on the Mornington Peninsula, that the 

 Square-tailed Cuckoo is decidedly rare and shy, and seems partial to 

 secluded spots. In this last respect it resembles the Fan-tailed Cuckoo. 



List, to date, of the known foster-parents of the Square-tailed 

 Cuckoo : — 



Vernacular Name. 



Blue Wren . . 

 Brown Flycatcher 

 White-shafted Fantail 

 Yellow-faced Honeyeater 

 Brown-backed Honeyeater 



Shrike Tit 



Scarlet-breasted Robin 

 Rose-breasted Robin 



Scientific Name. 



Malurus cyaneus 

 Micrceca fascinans 

 Rhipidura albiscapa 

 Ptilotis chrysops 

 Glycyphila modesta . . 

 Falcunculus frontatus 

 PetrcEca leggii . . 

 P. rosea. . 



Hv Whom First 



Recorded or 



Reported. 



Dr. G. Hurst 

 Keartland — Ryan 

 Hurst — Waterhotise 

 North — Moore 

 n. Le Souef 

 G. A. Keartland 

 G. E. Shepherd 

 J. Gabriel 



453. — Cacomantis castaneiventris, Gould. 

 CHESTNUT-BREASTED CUCKOO. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., supp., pi. 55. 

 Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xix., p. 274. 



G<iii/r<i iihiml Dixfrihufinn. — Northern Torrilory (probably) rind 

 Norlli Queensland ; also New Ouiiicn .-iiid Avu Islands. 



