New Birds' -egys from Northern Australia. 359 



XXIX. — Descriptions of some new Birds' -eggs from Northern 

 Australia. By D. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S. 



1. Great Bower-bird {Chlamydodera nuchalis) : Cat. B. 

 vi. p. 391. 



Specimens of this bird were obtained at the Katherine 

 River by Mr. E. Olive, who was collecting for Dr. C. Ryan, 

 Dr. W. Snowball, and the writer. He was also fortunate in 

 obtaining their nest and eggs, and saw one of their bowers. 

 He obtained two males. They are easily recognizable from 

 C. orientalis, the back being much more mottled, besides 

 their larger size. In one of the specimens the feathers just 

 in front of the nuchal ornament are tipped with white, 

 forming an irregular white band, and several of the lilac- 

 coloured feathers of the ornament are also tipped with white, 

 especially at each end. Mr. Olive states that the females 

 are more shy than the males. Their food consists of fruit 

 and insects. 



Their bovvers are large, being formed of twigs and arched 

 over at the top, and are from 2 to 3 feet long, the passage 

 through being about 9 inches wide, and the width of the sides 

 of the bower about 6 inches. At both ends were the usual 

 collection of land-shells, pebbles, small bones, seeds, coloured 

 feathers, &c. At one bower of these birds found on the 

 Victoria River, N.W. Australia, and about 100 miles from 

 the coast, were several turtle-bones. The birds were 

 frequently rearranging the position of their collection. Three 

 nests were found; each had a single egg in it, but the full 

 clutch is probably two. The nests were built about 15 feet 

 from the ground, on what is locally called an '' irouwood "- 

 tree in the open forest, and were situated near the end of 

 the branch, one being in a bunch of mistletoe. They are 

 open and lightly built of twigs, without any lining, and 

 measure — external depth 5 inches, internal 2 inches ; ex- 

 ternal diameter 8 inches, internal 4 inches. The eggs are 

 very similar in appearance to those of C. orientalis and 

 C. maculata^ but not quite so handsomely marked. The one 

 taken on December 18th, 1898, has the ground-colour of a 



