290 PLOCEIDyE. 



The nest is a large flask-shaped structure, with a spout-like entrance composed of dried or 

 partially green grasses, slightly lined inside at the bottom with finer grasses, and sometimes with 

 thistle-down or feathers. They are of varying size, an average one measuring externally eight 

 inches in length by five inches and a half in breadth. Tea-trees or low gum saplings are favourite 

 nesting sites, especially those overrun with climbing plants, but any bushy bough is availed of 

 when built in public parks and gardens. Prickly Acacia hedges are also much resorted to, the 

 nest being usually placed from three to twenty feet from the ground, but eight to twelve feet is 

 the average height. Being so large and easily found, they are seldom interfered with, except by 

 bird-nesting boys, when they are built within hand's reach. About tea-tree swamps and scrub- 

 bordered creeks they nest in companies, but single nests are more often met with in low trees in 

 open forest lands. At Ourimbah they were found nesting in the crowns of tree-ferns. 



Of many nests examined five is the average number of eggs laid for a sitting ; sets of six 

 are not uncommon, and occasionally up to seven and eight. The eggs are white, oval in 

 form, some specimens tapering sharply at the smaller end ; the shell is close-grained, smooth 

 and lustreless. A set of six, taken at Roseville on the 3rd of November, 1907, measure as 

 follows: — Length (A) o'6 x o'45 inches; (B) 0-62 x 0-47 inches; (C) 0'6i x 0-43 inches; 

 (D) o'62 X 0'42 inches; (E) o'65 x 0^44 inches; (F) o"62 x o'45 inches. 



Young birds resemble the adults, but have the head dusky yellowish-olive, and destitute of 

 the crimson superciliary stripe ; rump and upper tail-coverts dull crimson ; the under parts are 

 pale buffy-brown, sides of the body ashy-grey, washed with dull yellowish-olive ; bill black. 

 Wing I'g inches. 



This Finch is not easily disturbed when breeding. At Belmore, in December 1893, I knew 

 of a nest, built near the end of a low bushy branch, to be roughly pulled out by a youthful 

 oologist, who could just reach it. Tearing the nest open and finding in it three fresh eggs, he 

 worked the entrance together again as well as he could and replaced it. On examining it again 

 five days later, he found in it the somewhat unusual complement of seven eggs. September 

 until the end of January constitutes the normal breeding season in New South Wales, nests 

 with eggs being more plentiful in October and November. C)dd nests, however, may be found 

 throughout the year. In 1892, at Middle Harbour, several nests were found with fresh eggs at 

 the end of July. At Enfield I found a nest on the 17th March, 1894, containing nearly fledged 

 young, and in a tea-tree close by I saw one of these Finches re-lining an old nest, in which 

 young ones had been reared, with fresh green grass blades. Numbers of fledgelings may be 

 seen early in November, and again during the first week in January. The notes of the young 

 ones during flight, as they follow their parents, somewhat resemble the notes of the Short-billed 

 Honey-eater (Melithreptns bi'evirostris.) 



When resident at Ripple Creek, Herbert River, Queensland, Mr. J. A. Boyd sent me the 

 following note under date 19th July, 1S89 : — " We had very cold weather here some few weeks 

 ago, with a frost on the 27th June and another on the 4th July, yet .-Egintha temporalis was 

 breeding, a nest being taken on the 5th instant containing five fresh eggs, and one on the 6th 

 with four nearly fledged young." 



In 1899, in " Novitiates Zoologicse," " Dr. Ernst Hartert pointed out the difference in colour 

 and size of some specimens from Cape York, and remarked : — " Comparison of a larger material 

 will probably justify the separation of the Cape York bird as a sub-species.' 



Judging from a single specimen in the South Australian Museum from Cape York, I regard 

 it as quite distinct from the Red-eyebrowed Finch of the more southern portion of the Continent. 

 It differs chiefly in its slightly smaller size, in having the upper parts golden-olive, the superciliary 

 stripe, rump and upper tail-coverts scarlet, lighter under surface, and more especially in its dull 

 black under tail-coverts. 



' Nov. Zool., Vol. VI., p. 427 (1899). 



