54 Kendall, Some Notes on Vernacular Names. [isfjul ■ 



is to be thought of ? To say nothing of the unification of idea 

 that would be lost by omitting the hyphen, it would be very 

 inconvenient to make so many changes in our list as such an 

 alteration would involve, even though by doing so we should 

 fall into line with our American brethren, who in their Check- 

 List print Vesper Sparrow, Duck Hawk, Ring Plover, &c. The 

 name of the bird, apart from its distinguishing adjective (or 

 adjectival noun-prefix), might perhaps stand out more clearly 

 in indices, &c, but to those familiar with bird-names would this 

 be a compensating advantage ? My own opinion is that the 

 hyphen should be retained. 



Re the use of capital initials where "Bird," or " Hen," or "Fowl," 

 or any similar word, forms the second number of a name- 

 combination, would it not be well to treat it as equivalent to a 

 proper name, such as Hawk or Duck, and use a capital initial ? 

 It is hard to see why it should not be so treated. 



A final suggestion is that when issued the list be interleaved 

 with plain paper, or so arranged that there should be a blank page 

 opposite each page of names, for the purpose of recording remarks, 

 dates of arrival and departure, and the many other references a 

 bird-student wants conveniently to hand. This would aid in 

 gathering material on which in the near future our Check-List 

 might be based. 



Descriptions of Birds'-eggs from the Port Darwin 



District, Northern Australia. 



By D. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S., &c, Melbourne. 



Part III. 



Rhipidura PHASIANA (Pheasant Fantail). 



This attractive little bird is found in the scrub-covered country 

 of Northern Australia. Its habits are similar to those of the 

 White-shafted Fantail (R. albiscapa), and it seems to nest princi- 

 pally in January, several nests being found in that month. Its 

 delicately-constructed, open nest is composed of soft shreds of 

 bark and lined with a few fine vine tendrils, and it is well covered 

 on the outside with cobwebs. They are placed on a horizontal 

 bough, generally by a fork. Measurements — internal breadth, 

 i^ inches ; external, if inches ; internal depth, i inch ; external, 

 i|- inches. The clutch appears to be two eggs. They are of a 

 very pale cream — some sets are almost white — with an irregular 

 zone of brown markings round the larger end, but varying in 

 different eggs as to its exact position, and in some cases being 

 much more irregular and lighter in colour. Two clutches 

 measure — A, (i) .60 x .48, (2) .59 x .48 ; B, (1) .65 x .49, (2) .66 x 

 .49 inch. I do not think these eggs have been described before, 

 and all those of the Australian Rhi piduree are now known. 



