NESTS A.VD EGGS Of AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 741 



also New Zealand, Lord Howe, Norfolk, and other Pacific Islands, and 

 throughout the Austro-Malayan Islands to ihc Philippines. 



Xest. — A thick ply of dry gi-ass principally and leaves, placed on 

 the giound in a slight hollow, fom- or five inches across, in herbage or 

 by a tussock of grass, usually in tiie vicinity of water. 



Eggs. — Clutch, five to eight usually, maximum twelve ; round oval 

 in shape ; textm-e of shell fine ; surface slightly glossy ; colour, wann 

 or pinkish-wliite, boldly but sparingly marked with roundish blotches 

 of rich reddish-brown, puiiDle, and dull purplish-gi-ey. Dimensions in 

 inches of a clutch: (1) 1-49 x Ml, (2) 147 x M, (3) 147 xM, 

 (4) 1-45 X 1-08, (5) 1-44 x 1-09, (6) 1-4 x 1-03, (7) 1-38 x 1-06. (Plate 18.) 



Ohservatiom. — Few birds of its kind enjoy a wider range than the 

 Landrail, or Pectoral Eail, and not only has it tlie run of marshy 

 tracts and moist humid places of Australia and Tasmania, but is found 

 on many other islands besides. 



What with the increase of foxes, domestic wild cats, and other 

 vermin, I do not think this favourite bird is so often seen as in former 

 years, in Victoria, at all events. 



Gould regarded it as a summer visitant to the southern parts of 

 Australia, arriving in August and departing in Fcbniai-y. This cannot 

 be a general rale, because I heard in 1895 of a nest containing four 

 undoubted Landrail's eggs having been found near Heidelberg, 4th 

 July. 



I had a curious experience in connection with the last Landrail's eggs 

 I took. The nest was concealed in a tuft of grass near the River MuiTay, 

 and contained a clutch of seven eggs, from which the bird was flushed. It 

 was the usual sr.ltry weather at the beginning of December (1890), and 

 I also " flushed " a snake near, wliich was killed, tossed into the river, 

 and went floating down stream with its yellowish stomach uppermost. 

 The same evenmg I was blowing the eggs by the verandah at 

 Mr. G. H. Morton's house. The children were watching what to them 

 was an interesting operation, when suddenly a tiger snake wriggled 

 up between us. Without dropping the precious egg I had in hand, 

 I seized a short stick at my .side and despatched the reptile while it 

 was making towards the verandah. It measured one inch short of 

 four feet. 



I possess two notes on the Pectoral Rail from different parts of 

 Austraha. One is from Yorke Peninsula, South Australia, written by 

 Mr. James McDougall, who says : " The Pectoral Rail breeds every year 

 on Trowbridge Islands, as I am infonned by the lighthouse keepers, 

 who see the young and old feeding at dawn and dusk. I have seen 

 the birds but not the eggs, which number seven or eight. The birds 

 arrive at the end of August, and leave in February. " 



The other is from Darling Downs, Queensland, by Mr. H. Lau, who 

 wi-ites : " This bird makes no nest, but, like the Emu, simply treads 

 down a little place among the long grass near water. This spot withers 



