Nest and E(jg of Queen Victorias Rifle Bird. 37 



Tlie ecjor has a little more ijloss on than is shown in the 

 illustration. 



Another egg and nest which was said to belong to this 

 species was previously sent to Mr. C. French, in 1886, from 

 the Cardwell Scrub, but the egg was spotted instead of 

 being streaked, as in the present specimen ; it is also smaller, 

 and the nest, although made of somewhat similar material, 

 is not so large, and is much more compactly built. Eggs of 

 the same species of bird often vary considerably in colour, 

 markings, and size, but still the general characteristics are 

 the same, except in a few instances, notably the egg of the 

 Gymnorhina tibicen. On several occasions I have noticed 

 that the eggs laid by one pair of birds are almost identical 

 with those laid by the same pair in the previous year, espe- 

 cially in the case of sea-birds, and it would be of interest to 

 ascertain if this fact has been noted by other oologists. 



