BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 85 



Mr. A. J. Campbell records the fact that jNlr. A. E. Brent once 

 found in a Brown-tail's nest two eggs of that species and one each 

 of the Fan-tailed, Bronze, and Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoos. 



*NARE0\V-B1LLED BRONZE-CUCKOO 



{CJialcococcyx basalis, Horsf.) 

 Male. — Upper surface brown glossed with metallic green; 

 outer webs of quills narrowly margined with dusky-white ; two 

 centre tail feathers brown washed with metallic gloss ; rest of 

 feathers with terminal white spot on inner webs and a subterminal 

 blackish bar; outer feather blackish broadly barred and notched 

 with white, next three pairs with basal three-fourths rufous, rest 

 greenish-brown, with two white spots on inner webs; a broad white 

 streak on sides of head form an extended eyebrow ; under surface 

 white, shaded and mottled with brown on throat and sides; sides 

 of breast barred with brown ; under wing coverts white, barred with 

 brown; bill black; legs and feet blackish-brown. Dimensions in 

 mm. -.—Length, 158; bill, 12; wing, 100; tail, 74; tarsus, 17. 

 Female. — Similar to male. 



Eggs. — Oval in shape; texture fine; surface slightly glossy; 

 colour pinkish-white, finely freckled all over with pinkish-red. 

 Dimensions in mm. of odd examples : — (1) 17 x 13, (2) 17 x 13.5. 

 Breeding Season. — September to December. 

 Geographical Distribution. — Tasmania, King Island, the whole 

 of Australia, Timor, Lombok, Java, Flores, and the Aru Islands. 



Observations. — To all intents and purposes the general habits 

 of this species and those of the Bronze-Cuckoo may be said to be 

 very similar. In common with other species, the Narrow-billed 

 Bronze-Cuckoo arrives early in September and departs towards 

 the end of INIarch. Its food consists of insects of various descrip- 

 tions gathered from off the ground and from the leaves and branches 

 of trees. One very good trait that it and the Bronze species has 

 lately developed to some considerable extent is that of feeding 

 on the larvae of a chrysomelid beetle very common wherever the 

 silver wattle grows. These larvae are responsible for the defolia- 

 tion and subsequent destruction of very many wattles, especially 

 young ones, every year. 



So far as my knowledge goes, the following are the foster- 

 parents of the Narrow-billed Bronze-Cuckoo in Tasmania : — 



Scarlet-breasted Robin (Petroeca leggci) 



Yellow-rumped Tit (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa) 



Tasmanian Tit [Acayithiza dievienensis) 



Blue Wren (Maltirus gonldi) 



Emu-Wren {Stipiturus vialachurus) 



White-fronted Chat (Eplithianura albifrons) 



Striated Field- Wren (Calamanthiis fuliginosus) 



White-e\^e (Zosterops C(Brulescens) 



New^ Holland Honey-eater {MeUornis novce-hollandice) . 



