Vol. VI. 



1907 



Stray Feat her Si IQ7 



Annotations. — Mesocalms pallid atus (Black-eared Cuckoo). 

 — Mr. Gerald F. Hill has kindly sent me an egg of this species. 

 It was taken with three eggs of Malurus cyaneus (Blue Wren) — 

 a new foster-parent for this Cuckoo — together with an ^^^ 

 of CJialcococcyx basalts (Narrow-billed Bronze-Cuckoo). This 

 extremely interesting set was discovered at Uunneworthy, near 

 Ararat, by Mr. L. Mooney, on the 25th November 1906. The 

 Black-eared Cuckoo's egg may be described as elongated in 

 form (more tapered towards the smaller end than known 

 examples), surface slightly glossy, and colour of a uniform rufous- 

 brown. Length, .91 ; breadth, .55 inch, 



Cacomantis flabelliforniis (Fan-tailed Cuckoo). — While the 

 Field-Wren {CalaviantJms albiloris. North) has been recorded 

 as one of the foster-parents for the Narrow-billed Bronze- 

 Cuckoo, I was not aware that the Field-Wren was also a foster- 

 parent of the Fan-tailed Cuckoo until I saw recently an interest- 

 ing combination clutch in the collection of Mr. G, E. Shepherd, 

 Somerville — season 1905. 



Eurystoimis australis (Dollar-Bird). — These birds have been 

 frequently noticed in the north-eastern province of Victoria, 

 But some have appeared more westward this season, notably 

 on the Goulburn, at Mount Macedon, and at Eltham, near 

 Melbourne. At the last-mentioned locality, in January, one 

 bird was shot out of nine which were said to be attacking 

 peaches. 



Lipoa ocellata (Mallee-Fowl). — In a back number of The 

 Atistralasian (15/12/06), Mr. Charles H. M'Lennan, writing 

 under the nom de plume of " Mallee-Bird," contributed a most 

 interesting and valuable article on the " Haunts and Habits 

 of the Lowan " or Mallee-Fowl. While giving us so many 

 interesting notes of his field observations of the bird, Mr. 

 M'Lennan omitted to touch on the disposition of the eggs 

 within the hatching-mounds, a matter which is somewhat per- 

 plexing to oologists. In reply to my queries Mr. M'Lennan 

 has promptly and kindly sent the following remarks : — " I 

 find, as a rule, the Mallee-Fowl lays its eggs in the mound 

 in the following manner : — Three or four eggs are always laid at 

 the bottom of the egg chamber, the large end of the egg being 

 placed upwards, with from 6 to 12 inches of sand, &c., between 

 each egg. The next egg is laid from 4 to 6 inches above these 

 — in fact, the rest of the eggs are laid here and there around the 

 egg chamber, with from 4 to 10 inches of material separating 

 them — no two eggs being placed directly over each other. The 

 eggs are always found near the side of the egg chamber. I have 

 often noticed what you could term tiers or circles, of 4, 6, and 4; 

 4, 5, and 3 ; 3, 5, 4, and 3 eggs respectively in odd mounds ; 

 but, as stated, the Mallee-Fowl lays its eggs without any respect 

 to regular formation of tiers or circles. I am sending you a 



