l86 Royal Aitstrcihisian Oniitho/ogis/s' I'nion. [,^^"1" 



flock Ifad the plumage much like that of the English Blackbird when 

 changing from the mottled blackish-brown to the fully adult glossy 

 yack of maturity. Dimensions in millimeters : — -Length, 4^0 ; wing, 

 310 ; culmen. 50 ; tarsus, 53 ; iris brown. In another adult the iris 

 was white with a tinge of blue around the pupil. 



Sphenostoma cristatus. Wedgebill. — Fairly common near Denham. 

 but absent from Dirk Hartog. In September voung were on the wing, 



Zosterops gouldi. Grev-backed White-eve. — Extremely common 

 on Dirk Hartog. and only less so on Peron. It was nesting in a 

 variety of situations. Young were on the wing in the middle of June, 

 and the species was still breeding at the end of September. 



Dicaeum hirundinaceum. Mistletoe-Bird. — On my first visit to 

 Dirk Hartog Island I saw one or two birds near the homestead. Mr. 

 Carter records it as well. I saw nothing of it on Peron Peninsula, 

 though mistletoe there was plentiful enough. 



Glyciphila alblfrons. White-fronted Honey-eater. — Mr. Carter 

 observed a few in the mangroves on Peron. 



Stigmatops ocularis. Brown Honey-eater. — A few singing in 

 dwarf eucalypts in the ram paddock on Dirk Hartog, and a pair at 

 the Eight-mile well. On Peron only seen near the Little Lagoon. 



Ptilotis sonora. Singing Honey-eater. — One of the commonest and 

 certainly the most obtrusive bird both on Dirk Hartog and Peron 

 Peninsula. It was nesting in both localities, large Acacia bushes 

 being the favourite haunt. It is stated that the type specimen was 

 obtained bv the Uranie expedition in 18 iS. 



Acanthogenys flavacanthus. Western Spiny-cheeked Honey-eater. 

 — Mr. Carter records two on Peron Peninsula. 



Anthus australis. Pipit or Ground-Lark. — Distributed all over 

 Dirk Hartog Island. Young were on the wing when I landed, middle 

 of June. I found nests containing both young and eggs during the 

 season. Two nests near my camp were swamped out isy the heavy 

 falls of rain in August (see also Campbell, Emn. xviii., p. 264 . 



Taeniopygia castanotis. Chestnut-eared Finch. — I did not see much 

 of this species either on Dirk Hartog or Peron, perhaps owing to its 

 being the breeding season, when the flocks break up. I found a 

 typical nest, containing four eggs, near the West well. 



DESCRIPTION OF NEW AUSTRALIAN EGGS COLLECTED 

 BY F. LAWSON WHITLOCK, R.A.O.U., AT DIRK 

 HARTOG ISLAND, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 

 By H. L. White, M.B.O.U., R.A.O.U. 



Malurus leucopterus, Quoy and Gaimard. Black-and-White 

 Wren-Warbler. 

 Nest. — Strongly constructed, of the usual Malurus shape, 

 domed, with side entrance near top ; length about 5 inches, 

 breadth about 2f inches; entrance hole, if inches in diameter: 

 depth inside, below entrance, 2| inches : constructed of very fine 

 dried grass matted together with spiders' web, cocoons, and small 



