So}?te Aiistralian Birds Eggs and Nests. 21 



inches, but they vary in size ; the eggs are two in number, and of 



a pale cream colour and glossy. One pair taken on 27 bh October 



27 181 28 191 . 



measures ^4 ^ x -—^ inch B ~- x — -^ inch. 

 16 16 16 16 



Coach-whip Bird ( Psophodes crepitans). 



The call of this l)ird was occasionally heard in the dense scrub 



on the higher lands, but the bird itself was seldom seen, it does 



not appear to be as large as our Victorian one, and it utters a 



slightly diiferent note, its eggs also are smaller and of a lighter 



colour. We found its nest on 25th October with two eggs in, 



built in a thick mass of creepers about three feet from the 



ground, it was composed chiefly of vine tendrils and small twigs, 



the ground colour of the eggs was bluish-white, with irregular 



black markings, slightly more numerous at the larger end, there 



are also similar markings of a greyish colour appearing as if 



under the shell, they taper gradually towards the smaller end 



. , 18 131 .19 1.3 . , 



and measures A — X — ^ inch // __ x — . inch. 

 16 16 16 16 



Black-fronted Flycatcher (Monarcha trivirgata). 



These flycatchers were seen only in the scrub, and were very 



shy birds. All the nests we found were built near the top of 



slender young trees, about four feet from the ground, and always 



near a watercourse ; their pretty cup-shaped nests were, compara- 



tiv^ely speaking, easily seen, they were outwardly composed of 



fine shreds of bark, pieces of skeleton leaves, a little moss, and all 



round the nests were fastened pieces of white spider cocoons, 



and a few of the softer green coloured cocoons made by other 



varieties of spiders. It gave the nests a curious appearance. All 



the inside was lined with very fine black rootlets and tendrils, 



havin<^ the appearance of horsehair, its external diameter is two 



and three-quarter inches by three and three-quarter inches in 



depth. Two eggs were always found in the nests on difterent 



dates in October, and the eggs in various stages of incubation. 



The eggs have a white ground colour, and are minutely speckled 



over with reddish- brown spots, which are very much more 



numerous at the larger end. A pair I took on 28th October 



, , 14 10 . , „14 10 . , 

 measured A —- X , >, inch B ^~ X —^ inch. 

 16 16 16 16 



