250 White, Australian Birds' Eggs Hitherto Unrecorded. [,^f"^"^n 



Description of Australian Birds' Eggs Hitherto 

 Unrecorded. 



By H. L. White, R.A.O.U.. Belltrees (N.S.W.) 



Platycercus splendidus, Gould. 



Clutch four to seven ; eggs pure white, shell without gloss and 

 thickly pitted all over with minute holes, many nodules being in 

 e\idence in some cases. 



Measurements, in inches, of a clutch of four taken by me at 

 Belltrees. N.S.W'., 20/9/15 ■.—{a) 1.02 x .86. (b) i.oi x .84, 

 (f) 1.04 X .87, (d) 1.08 X .85. 



Eggs placed 12 inches down in the liollow of a stump standing 

 about 10 feet high. 



The eggs of different clutches vary considerably in size and 

 shape, but are generally not distinguishable from those of Platy- 

 cercus cximius. 



Ethelornis (Pseudogerygone) magnirostris whitlocki, Mathews. 



I am not an advocate for the splitting of species unless there 

 are some marked differences. In the case of the bird in question, 

 my specimens vary considerably from those of eastern Australia, 

 the eggs are different from any others of the genus I have seen, 

 while I know of no previous record of the Large-billed Fly-eater 

 from Western Australia. 



The nest, a very neat dome-shaped structure composed of shreds 

 of bark and spider-web, was placed in a mangrove tree at a height 

 of 8 feet above the mud on the tide line. Time occupied in 

 building, 16 days. 



Clutch of two eggs, ground colour white, with reddish-brown 

 dots and splashes, rather plentifully distributed over the larger 

 end, but sparingly elsewhere. Shape long oval ; texture of shell 

 fine and without gloss. 



Measurements in inches : — {a) .72 x .47, {b) .73 x .47. 



Except in size, the eggs are almost identical with those of 

 Glycifhila fasciata, Gould. 



Locality. — Port Hedland, W.A. 



Collected by F. Lawson Whitlock. 28/10/14. 



Reminiscences of a Field Collector.* 



By a. J. Campbell. C.^M.B.O.U.. Melbourne (Vic.) 



Onxe, when I was going afield, I met an enthusiastic friend, who 

 was proceeding to a land sale. Patting me on the shoulder, he 

 said — " Sell your bird-eggs, old man, and put the money into 

 land." The" big boom broke. He lost his land : my egg 



* These notes were read at a meeting of ornithologists, helil in Melbourne, 

 on the occasion when Mr. Campbell presented his collection of Australian 

 birds' eggs to the National Museum, Victoria. 



