loSo NESTS AND EGGS 01' AUSTRALIAN BIRDS 



363. — Philemon argenticeps. 



SILVER !>:-OROWNED FElAli BIRD. 



Sest. — Similar to that of P. cuniiriilatu^ ; composed of long shreds of 

 balk, aud liued inside with grass seed-stalks. Dimensions o\'er all, 

 5 inches by 7 inches in dejjth ; egg cavity, 2^ inches across by 3 inches 

 deep. 



Eijys. — Clutch, two usually ; true oval in shape ; texture, fine ; sur- 

 face slightly glossy; colour, most delicate pmkish-buff, finely and indis- 

 tinctly spotted with rufous, purplish-brown, and dull pui'plc, the niarkings 

 being thickest round Ihe apex. Dimensions in inches of odd (rounehsh) 

 examijles from the Cape York Peninsula: (1) I'l x '84, (2) I'll x -84; 

 of a proper pair : (1) MS x -8,(2) 1-16 x -81. 



Mr. D. Le Souef described similar- eggs from the same locality before 

 the Field Natui'ahsts' Club of Victoria, 15th April, 1899, which were 

 collected by Mr. R. Hislop, in tlie forest country of the Bloomfield River 

 district, 24th December, 1896. He subsequently received a beautiful 

 series (the majority remarkable for their delicate light coloimng) from 

 the same district this (1899) season, taken dming October, November, 

 and December. In twelve nests, none contained more than a pau- of 

 eggs except one, which, in addition, had a fine egg of the Koel, concerning 

 wliicli Mr. Le Souef's collector wrote: — "In the clutch taken 27th 

 December there was one egg, which, I think, is that of the Fhnders' 

 Cuckoo, and, strange to say, it waa the fii-st egg laid. It was in the nest 

 when we found it, and it was not until two or three days later that the 

 Friar Bird laid her two eggs, as on going back four days afterwards we 

 found the tlu'ee eggs in the nest." 



401. MUNIA PECT0RALI8. 



WHITE-BREASTED FINCH. 



The eggs are long ovals in shape ; texture fine ; surface without gloss ; 

 colour, white, with the faintest bluish tinge. A pair from a clutch of 

 four, taken by Mr. G. A. Keartland, in North-west Austi-alia, measm-es 

 in inches: (1) -62 x -43, (2) -6 x ■42. The nest was the usual flask- 

 shaped structure of grass, lined inside with finer material, and was situated 

 in a bush about ten feet from the ground. Date, end of Febiiiaiy, 1897. 



414. — Atrichia clamosa. 

 NOISY SCRUB BIRD. 



To Mr. A. T. Hassell, Western Australia, belongs the honom- of dis- 

 covering, and to Mr. D. Lc Souef, Melbourne, of describing the first 



