120 Stray Feathers. X 



Emu 

 st Oct. 



as far as plumage is concerned, in the female of P. ■phcenicea here 

 and on the mainland. — H. Stuart Dove. West Devonport (T.), 



26/8/03. 



* * * 



Nests and Eggs of Xerophila castaneiventris (Milligan).— 

 In the last issue of The Emu (p. 70) Mr. A. W. Milligan described 

 a Chestnut-bellied Whiteface — a new and very distinct species of 

 Xerophila. Knowing that I possessed eggs of a Xerophila from 

 the same region (Murchison, W.A.), he thoughtfully sent me 

 (per favour of Mr. B. Woodward, F.G.S., Curator of the Perth 

 Museum) a set of eggs for comparison and description, collected 

 by Mr. Fred. Lawson. 



The following is Mr. Milligan's description of the nest : — 



" Resembles in a general way those of the other members of 

 the genus, being somewhat bulky in size, loose in construction, 

 and irregular in form. It has a covered top and a side entrance, 

 the latter being large and lacking neatness in construction. The 

 materials composing it are a heterogeneous collection, comprising 

 principally the slender and perished stems of soft-wooded plants 

 and bleached stems of grasses, with which are intermixed cow-hair, 

 small strips of rags, string, wool, and Emu feathers. The inside 

 of the nest is abundantly lined with poultry feathers. The front 

 aspect of the nest has a deep rusty-coloured appearance, owing 

 to some of the materials being dirt-stained with the red soil of 

 the locality. The nest was discovered in an old stump. The 

 over-all measurements are — length, I4f ; girth, \2\ inches." 



Eggs. — Clutch 4 or 5 ; oval to roundish-oval in shape ; texture 

 of shell fine ; surface glossy ; colour, white or pinkish-white, more 

 or less spotted and blotched with chestnut and dull purple, thickest 

 around the apex, where these colours appear in a confluent band 

 of purplish-brown. Dimensions in inches of a set: — (1) .74 x 

 .52 ; (2) .7 x .53 ; (3) .7 x .53 ; (4) .7 x .52 ; (5) .69 x .52. 

 Two sets were taken by Mr. Lawson, 14th and 25th July, 1903, 

 respectively. — A. J. Campbell. 



* * * 



Camp Data, 1903. — Swifts. — 13th January. — Tremendous flight 

 of Swifts over Langton ; air alive (6.45 p.m.) with them, high and 

 low, uttering shrill cries and travelling westward ; followed by 

 thunderstorm. 17th February, 10.45 a - m - — Fair flight over 

 Clermont, high, going east. 2nd April, 6.30 p.m. — Small flight 

 over Logan Downs, fairly high, eastwards. 6th April, 8, 9.15 

 a.m. — Large flight over Logan Downs, low, going N.W. by W. 

 6th April, 1 1 .30 a.m. — Large flight over Logan Downs, low, going 

 S.W. by W. 6i;h April, 1.30, 4.45 p.m. — Hawking over house.. 

 7th April. — Nice showers of rain. 



24th April, Logan Downs. — Flushed sitting Bronzewing 

 Pigeon ; 2 eggs. 



29th April, Logan Downs. — Flushed sitting Peaceful Dove ; 

 2 eggs. 



