146 



RECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



PetrocJielidon ariel, Sliarpe, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., x., p. 199 

 (1885) ; North, Nests aud Eggs Austr. Bds., 2nd. ed., ii., 

 pt. iii., p. 244 (1909). 



This, the fourth species, completes all the members of the 

 Family Hiruudiuidse, iuhabiting Australia. It was met with 

 only at Brewarrina, but was not nearly so freely distributed iu 

 the town as the preceding species, but it greatly exceeded in 

 numbers the Tree Swallows in the immediate vicinity. My 

 attention was first attracted to it bj' seeing two pairs of birds 

 each constructing nests over the two front windows of the 

 School of Arts. Shortly after I saw about a dozen of their 

 curious retort-shaped mud nests in course of construction on a 

 large rock at " The Fisheries," in the Darling, and only a few 

 yards from the bank, on the Brewarrina side of the river, and 

 from where the birds were collecting mud for building the 

 nests. By far the largest community, however, seen on the 

 following day, were busily engaged at nest building, under the 

 bridge, which crosses the Barwon River, about a mile out of 

 town. The same afternoon, driving in company with Mr. L. 

 Bucknell, to Tarrion Creek, I asked him to pull up at the 

 bridge which crosses the creek, there being- no water in it at 

 the time, while an examination was made underneath this 

 structure. As was anticipated, there was a number of nests 

 of the Fairy Martin, in various stages of construction, some just 

 commenced, the most about half to three-quarters built, while 

 a few had the bottle neck-like entrance but recently com- 

 pleted, which one could easily discern by the dark colour of 

 the yet undried mud pellets. In two instances I saw biids 

 carrying dried grasses into the otherwise apparently finished 

 nests. All the nests observed by me were new, but none I 

 believe then contained eggs. 



From the shape the Fairy Martin forms its nest, this species 

 is known iu many parts of Australia under the local name of 

 " Bottle Swallow." 



Artamcs leucogaster. 



White-rumped Wood Swallow. 



Ocypterus lencoqaster, Valenc. Mem. Mus. d'Hist., vi., p. 21, pi. 

 viii., fig. 2 (1820). 



