OF SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA. 93 



111 referring to this species, that celebrated naturaUst, the 

 late Mr. Gould, says: — 



"When the young, which are generally two in number, 

 leave the nest, the feathers of the body are brown, margined 

 with hght grey. This colouring is soon exchanged for one of 

 a uniform grey, except on the lower parts of the abdomen 

 and under tail coverts, which are white, and a mark of black 

 which surrounds the eye and spreads over the ears. The 

 throat and forehead in this shape are hghter than the 

 remainder of the plumage, which is somewhat singular, as in 

 the next change that takes place those parts become a jet 

 black. This colour, I believe, is never afterwards thrown off, 

 but remains a characteristic of the adult shape of both sexes. 

 The infinite changes of plumage which some of the Australian 

 members of this genus undergo from youth to maturity 

 render their investigation very perplexing. I have done my 

 best to define them correctly; if I have committed some 

 errors let us hope that a son of the great southern land may 

 be imbued with a sufficient love for natural science to pay 

 attention to the subject and place it in a truer light." 



A second numerous species is the Little Cuckoo-Shrike. 



Nest. — Small, flat, and closely fitted to the fork of a hori- 

 zontal bough. It is made of grasses, and externally covered 

 with cobwebs to make the nest resemble the grey surround- 

 ings. So artfully is this done that one needs to see the bird 

 fly away to discover the nest for the first time. 



Eggs. — Three, sometimes two, to a sitting; ground colour 

 dull olive, with chestnut-brown spots boldly appearing on the 

 surface, and dull lilac-red spots as if beneath the surface. 

 Length, 1.25 inches; breadth, 0.9 inch. 



