130 Mr. R. Hall on Birds 



remains one of tlie few Anstralian birds' ejigs not yet deseribed 

 in scientific literature. The clutch is composed of tliree eggs, 

 one being deposited each successive day. A nest found at 

 Katanuing was built wnth three walls : (a) external, bark ; 

 [b) thin middle, grass-stems and horsehair ; (c) internal 

 layer, animals' brownish-red hair. Slightly oval in shape, its 

 greatest diameters were 3 inches X 2'5 inches ; the bowl- 

 diameter was half an inch less, while its depth was 1*5 inch; 

 the depth of the whole structure (which tapered to accom- 

 modate itself to the fork, 7 feet above the ground, in a 

 Casuarina) was 3 inches. A much more beautiful and broader 

 nest is exhibited in the Perth Museum. 



Spechncn H. — Upper surface brown, each feather streaked 

 with white along the mid-rib; lores and base of forehead 

 shewing white ; throat a mixture of brown and whitish ; 

 chest deep brown ; abdomen wdiite ; under tail-coverts pale 

 chestnut ; all the white on the wing-quills of the adult 

 represented by rufous; under surface of wing with a white 

 line across the basal part of the quills; outer tail-feather 

 as in adult, except for the measurements ; each tail-feather 

 with the rachis extended so as to appear spinose ; bill and 

 feet lemon-coloured ; nails black ; soft ring round eye pale 

 yellow ; eyes black. Total length 3'4 inches, wing 2"2. 



Specimen J. — This appears to have left the nest only a few 

 days before being killed, bnd is similar to H, but has larger 

 measurements, while the bill is not so yellow. Total length 

 4 inches, wing 23. 



Specimen K. — This is very little older than H or J. The 

 upper mandible is maturing into black, and the rufous of the 

 wings is becoming wliite; there is more white on the fore- 

 head than in H or J, and it is now becoming a definite 

 frontal mark ; feet below rich orange, above light orange. 

 Total length 4'55 inches, vi'ing 2"75. 



Specimen M. — A great change is now being eflPected in the 

 plumage. No red appears in H, J, K, but here we have an 

 outburst of not only " reds," but " blacks " and " whites," 

 a large proportion of the streaked feathers of all stages being 

 still retained in the dorsal reoion. 



