and Eggs from Cape York. 53 



counted 296 nests on it. He said that the noise made by 

 the birds when he was up the tree was something to be 

 remembered. The nests vary in size and are nearly circular ; 

 they measure 7 inches in diameter, and the nesting-chamber 

 4^ inches ; they are composed principally of dark- coloured 

 curly vine-tendrils, with a lining of finer light-coloured 

 fibres from the palm-trees. 



These birds lay from two to three eggs, as many nests 

 having two as those which have three. The clutches vary 

 both in size and coloration, many of the larger eggs especi- 

 ally being well marked on the larger end with dark brown 

 and lilac spots, in many cases confluent and forming an 

 irregular zone. Others have smaller markings of a greyish- 

 brown colour interspei'sed with lilac markings, but they are 

 more evenly scattered over the surface. Then, again, many 

 of the clutches have no markings, but these are mostly the 

 smaller eggs and are probably those of the younger birds. 

 The ground-colour is greenish white. Some of the eggs 

 are more elongated tlian others. The following are the 

 measurements of two clutches : — (1) A 1*16 x '80, B TlOx 

 •79, C 1-12 X -78 ; (2) A 1-8 x "70, B 1-6 x -71 inch. 



3. Myiagra LATiRosTRis (Gould). (Broad-billcd Fly- 

 catcher.) 



The nest and eggs of this bird were found by Mr. H. G. 

 Barnard at Somerset, Cape York, on December 20th, 1896. 

 He states that the nest was built in a mangrove-tree over- 

 lianging a deep stream, and that he had to push the eggs into 

 his handkerchief at the end of a long stick. While he was 

 trying to secure the nest it fell into the Avater and was carried 

 away by the current. It was very similar to the nest of M. 

 concinna, but larger, being about the size of that of Seisura 

 inguieta. Later on two more nests were found, but they both 

 contained two young ones. Mr. Barnard met with this bird 

 only in the mangroves, and not in the open forest-country. 

 The ground-colour of the eggs is a dull white, but one of the 

 set sent is a shade darker than the other. The markings are 

 mostly elongated, some greyish brown and others lilac, the 

 latter appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell ; they 



