QO Le Souef, Bird^-eggs from Northern Australia. [isfo"-! 



on the larger end, and in another principally on the smaller ; one 

 egCT has cloudy purplish-buff markings ; those beneath the 

 surface are lilac. They measure — A, (i) .74 x .55, (2) .73 x .55 ; 

 B, .72 X .55 ; C, .70 X .54 inch. 



Chlamydera NUCHALIS (Great Bower-Bird). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus.,vol. vi., p. 391. 



Four nests of these birds were discovered, containing one o.^^ 

 each, although two are occasionally found. The dates are 9th 

 and 17th October and 3rd and 19th November. The ground 

 colour of the eggs is pale cream, with hair-like brown and 

 reddish-brown markings, which appear as if they have been 

 wound round and round in a very irregular fashion ; many of the 

 lines seem to go all ways. The ^^^ is glossy, and measures 1.84 

 X 1. 14 inches. 



POMATORHINU.S RUBECULUS (Red-breasted Babbler). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. vii., p. 421. 



Nests and eggs of this bird were found on 29th September, 

 2 1st October, and 21st January. The nests were the usual large, 

 domed, stick structures, and contained from two to three eggs, 

 the colour being greyish-brown with reddish-brown lines, often 

 crossing one another. One clutch measures — (i) i.oi x .']'^\ 



(2) 1.02 X .72 inches. 



Cracticus NIGRIGULARIS, sub-species PICATUS (Pied Butcher- 

 Bird). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol, viii., p. 96. 



These birds generally go in pairs and build their open stick 

 nests in eucalyptus trees in open forest country. Their eggs 

 are a light greyish-green colour, with brown markings, mostly on 

 the larger end, and measure — (i) 1.23 x .85; (2) 1.26 x .87; 



(3) 1.25 X .88 inches. 



Pachycephala simplex (Brown Thickhead). 

 Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. viii., p. 219. 

 Two nests of this bird were found, one on 23rd January and 

 the other on 6th February, and one contained two eggs, the 

 other one. The nest is an open structure composed of long 

 pieces of coarse grass, lined with the feathery seed-top of some 

 kind of grass and a few white feathers. It measures — internal 

 depth, 2 inches, breadth 2 inches; external depth, 2^4^ inches, 

 breadth 4 inches. It was situated in a partially horizontal fork 

 of a dense bush. The eggs are pale buff, with spots of dark 

 brown, rather more numerous on the larger end. The markings 

 under the surface, which are also numerous, are lilac. The 

 measurements are — A, (i) .92 x .62, (2) .88 x .60; B, .85 x .62 

 inches. These eggs have not been previously described. 



