^'°',',M^'] /i'"V"/ .liistralasiuii Oniilholo^ists' Vuion. igi 



l)ol\veiMi \cll()\v iH-hn: and bucklluun hiowii (Ixidgway's 

 " Standards," pi. wi.) ; upper tail covfits ari' mustard yoUow 

 {loc. cit.), under tail coverts pali- yellow ; abdomen tinged with 

 yellowish-bufi". 



Measurements of drii'd specimen : -Total length, 155 nnii. ; 

 tail, 7 mm. ; wing, 7.S nun. ; culmeu, 12 mm. ; tarsus, iz mm. ; 

 iris black. 



Differs from P. cartrn (Campbell) in being less yellow on fore- 

 head and crown of head and nuich darker generally, also has a 

 larger pn)portion of black and less white in the ear-plumes. 

 Differs generally from P. flava (Gould) in being less yellow, and 

 llava has no white in the ear-plume. Differs widely from P. keart- 

 landi (North) in having a yellow face, forehead, and crown, which 

 kcartlandi has not.' Differs from P. penicillata (Gould) in having 

 a brighter yellow face, brighter yellowish wash on forehead and 

 crown, pale yellow under tail coverts, and brighter yellow upper 

 tail coverts, has more black and less white in the ear-plumes, and 

 has bright yellow streaks on chin, neck, and chest, these Ix-ing 

 absent- in penicillata. 



Habitat. — Numerous in the creek beds at Geraldton and 

 Dongara, Western AustraUa. 



There is no difference between the male and female. 



The credit of the discovery is quite as much due to Mr. J. W. 

 Mellor as to myself, as we observed several specimens each while 

 we were. working together, and I found them later at Dongara. 



Note. — Mr. Mellor suggests that it may be Mr. Mathews's 

 Pfilotis ladasi ; this is quite possible, but we have had no oppor- 

 tunity to compare the skins. 



Stray Feathers. 



Clutches of the Bustard in Western Australia. —Referring to 

 Mr. A. H. Chisholm's paper on the breechng of the Austrahan 

 Bustard, I append notes from my old diaries as to the number of 

 eggs laid in North-West Austraha ; — 



2nd October, 1887. — One egg (Murchison River). 



6th August, 1897.— Two nests, each with two eggs. 



1st August, 1898.— One nest, with two eggs. 



4th June, 1900. — One nest, with one egg. 



(8tli June, 1900. — ^Saw' young birds that could fly.) 



5th August, 1900. — Two nests, each with two eggs. 

 1897 '"^^^^ 1900 were hurricane \'ears, with heavy rains, the 

 rainfall registered by me at Point Cloates being 23^ inches in 

 1900 and iii in 1897. 1898 was also an exceptionally good year, 

 with 14 inches. The above records of eggs found rt-fer to Point 

 Cloates district, excepting, of course, the hrst one, and are in 

 favour of' two eggs being the usual number. I have seen Bustards, 

 with their wings expanded, driving away sheep from the vicinity 



