BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 71 



regular order in clusters of thirty or forty together, some of the 

 spouts inclining downwards, others at right angles, &c." (Gould). 



Eggs. — "Clutch four to five; lengthened in form or oval; 

 texture of shell very fine; surface glossy; colour white, but occa- 

 sionally faintly freckled, especially about the apex, with light 

 yellowish-brown. Dimensions in inches : — (1) .7 x .48, (2) .7 x .48, 

 (3) .7 X . 48 " (A. J. Campbell). 



Breeding Season. — August to October. 



Geograp}iical Distribution. — Tasmania (occasional) and Aus- 

 tralia in general. 



Observations. — According to IMr. A. J. Campbell, " Mr. S. H. 

 Wintle, geologist, was the first observer to direct attention (Vic- 

 torian Xaturalist, February, 1887) to the fact that the Fairy IMartin 

 should be placed on the Tasmanian list of avifauna, because he had 

 found the bird breeding at Bridport the season of 1883 and other 

 years." Xo birds of this species were visible at that place when I 

 visited it during the breeding season on two occasions. Dr. W. 

 Macgillivray is reported by the same authority to have seen 

 individuals about Launceston in October, 1893. I have no personal 

 knowledge of this species in Tasmania, nor have jMessrs. Arthur 

 Butler, H. C. Thompson, H. Stuart Dove, or several other 

 observers from whom I inquired. 



FAMILY-MOTACILLID/E (1 species). 



GKOUND-LAEK (Pipit) 



(Anthus australis, Vig. and Horsf.) 



Male. — Head distinctly blackish, striped with fawn-buff; upper 

 back fawn-buff, the feathers largely centred v.ith black ; shoulders, 

 lower back, and rump more uuiform fawn-buff'; upper tail coverts 

 tawny; tail feathers blackish-brown, edged with fulvous; outer 

 feathers entirely white save for an oblique mark of brown half-way 

 down the inner web; penultimate white on the outer web, tip, and 

 inner half of inner web ; shaft and outer three-quarters of inner 

 web dark brown; median and greater wing coverts blackish, edged 

 with tawny-buff ; primaries dark brown, the inner quills having a 

 very slight whitish tip ; secondaries blackish-brown, broadly mar- 

 gined with tawny-buff; lores and a distinct eyebrow white, tinged 

 with fulvous; cheeks pale fulvous; ear coverts pale fulvous, mot- 

 tled with blackish-brown; throat dull white; fore-neck and chest 

 fulvous, the feathers with broad blackish-brown centres; breast 

 pale buff ; abdomen and under tail coverts whitish ; sides of body 

 light tawny-buff; the feathers have shaft-streaks of blackish- 

 brown; bill blackish on upper mandible and on terminal half of 

 lower, pale yellowish-brown on basal half ; legs and feet pale brown. 

 Dimensions in mm.: — Length, 175; bill, 12; wing, 90; tail, 67; 

 tarsus, 26.5. 



