179. 



"This nest of the Blue-faced Honey-eater is qu.te '^■""-' •-" ^'^^f ^^^ 7 ^ ""^r;, J 

 was built by the b>rds themselves, between a piece of loose bark and the run a ng-bad.ed 

 tree near .ny house, about fourteen feet from the ground and contamed wo fresh egg This 

 species also frequently constructs its nest in the tops of Grass-trees rA.,.. ./,.., ^-e found 

 several in this position in the scrubs up the river. About Copman hurst however .t more o ten 

 builds in a deserted nest of the Chatterer fPo.atosto,,,,. tc.poraUs). I have seen these b.rds 

 building in June and have taken their eggs from July to November. 



The eggs are usually two, rarely three in number for a s.tting, oval or ^'--^-'--^^'-\2XZ 

 the shell bein. closed grained, smooth and slightly lustrous. They vary m ground colour frcun 



ich ahl I a pale fleshy-buff, and typically are sparingly but distinctly spotted and ^lo he 

 with purplish-red or chestnut-brown, intermmgled with a few underlymg "-^^' J J ^j^^ 

 hue; the latter in some specimens are bluish-grey. Others may have one -^^ZZi^^^ 

 shaped markings of yellowish or light rusty-brown. In one set now before "^^ l^^J^^^^'^li 

 zone on the larger end. In some the markings are penumbral, but as a rule, espeoally those 



NEST .\ND EGGS OF THE BLUE-FACED HOSEYKATER. 



a li.ht ..round colour, they stand out in bold relief. A set of two taken at Dubbo, in August 18S7 

 m isures-Length (A) x'^s x 0-92 inches; (B) ray x 0-92 inches. A very handsome set 

 Taken by Mr Sa .idg , n the above figured nest .s of a warm reddish-buft' ground colour whxch 

 d tin t'y spotted\nd blotched with purplish-red and a few ^P- ^^ y^^--^^^^^^^^'" .^ 

 n.mgledwithunderlyingspotsofdarkbluish-grey:-Length(A)i-2. x o^SSmches, (B) : 29 



X 0-9 inches. 



Fledc^elinas resemble the adult but the feathers are downy and duller m colour those on 

 thec^ vmof the head and hind neck being dark brown, and those on the throat ul grey^ 

 Wn'gTs inches. This stage of plumage is retained by imn.ature b.rds, when nearly of the same 

 averl'-e measurements as the adult. Wing 6 inches. 



Tune to December consftutes the normal breeding season of this species durmg wh>ch fme 

 twoloods are reared. In some seasons eggs may be found in the ^^^ fj^^^^^:^ 

 however, as a rule an early breeder, and their eggs are more common m August and September 

 than in the later months of the year. 



