Art. I. — Notes on West Australian Oology, loith 

 Descriptions of New Eggs. 



(With Plates I and II.) 



By A. J. Campbell, F.L.S, 

 (Communicated by Professor W. Baldwin Spencer, M.A.) 



[Read March 13, 1890.] 



Having recently devoted myself to nearly four months 

 of scientific research, particularly with reference to field 

 work, in Western Australia, I desire to lay before this 

 Society the following oological notes. Further, at this 

 juncture, the notes may 'e deemed the more valuable, 

 because the "West Australian Constitution Bill," now before 

 the Imperial Parliament, is directing attention to the great 

 western territory, from whence any knowledge is of peculiar 

 interest at present. 



Astur cruentus, Gould (West Australian Goshawk). — 

 Eggs roundish in shape, bluish-white, with dull surface. 

 In a clutch of two, one specimen possesses a few smudges 

 of reddish-brown. Dimensions — (]) 4'4 x 3'46 cm., 

 (2) 4-33 X 343 cm. These examples are from the Champion 

 Bay District. 1 did not take them personally, but have no 

 doubt of their identit}^ Gould states that this goshawk 

 breeds during October and the two following months, 

 making a nest of dead sticks on the horizontal fork of a 

 mahogany (Eucahjpf) tree. 



Podargus brachypterus, Gould (Short-winged Podargus). 

 — Eggs pure white, long oval in shape; texture of shell fine, 

 with slightly lustrous surface One example, from a clutch 

 of two, measures 4-44 x 2-90 cm. They were taken 21st 

 October with the nest (a thick platform of twigs, &c.), about 

 10 or 12 feet from the ground, in a paper-bark tree 

 (Melaleuca), at Quindalup. This podargus sometimes 

 places its nest in the fork ot a grass tree ( X author rhoea), as 

 well as in eucalypts. Dimensions of nest about 25 cm. in 

 diameter, by about 5 cm. in thickest part. 



tStrepera plumhea, Gould (Leaden-coloured Crow-shrike). — 

 A pair of eggs I took at Hamelin Harbour are of the usual 



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