Vol. II. 

 1902 



] Le Souef, Birds' -eggs from Northern Australia. 95 



20th April, and was composed of coarse grass and other herbage, 

 and measured in breadth 3^ inches. The eggs are buffy- 

 white, slightly glossy, and have dark brown markings, especially 

 at the larger end, those beneath the surface being lilac. They 

 measure— (i) 1.40 x 1.07 ; (2) 1.32 x 1.06 ; (3) 1.35 x i.oi inches. 



Platalea regia (Black-billed Spoonbill). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. xxvi., p. 47. 

 These birds are fairly plentiful in Northern Australia. They 

 nest in the swamps, frequently in company with Ibises, and 

 make their nests on broken-down reeds and shrubs. The eg^gs 

 soon get nest-stained, and are chalky-white, with a few brown 

 markings, generally most numerous on the larger end. They 

 are elongated in shape, and not so rounded as P. flavipes. They 

 measure — (i) 2.68 x 1.60 ; (2) 2.55 x 1.70 ; (3) 2.55 x 1.59; 

 (4) 2.54 X 1.74 inches. 



Xenorhynchus asiaticus (Black-necked Stork, or Jabiru). 

 Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. xxvi., p. 310. 

 These birds build very large stick nests on trees growing in 

 or near a swamp. They lay three or four finely pitted white 

 eggs. 'Ihe dates on which four nests and eggs were found are 

 9th and nth May, 2nd and nth June. The eggs measure — 

 A, (i) 2.86 X 2.06, (2) 2.92 X 2.10; B, (i) 2.98 x 2.05, (2) 2.72 

 X 2.07 inches. 



Nettopus PULCHELLUS (Green Goose-Teal.) 

 Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. xxvii., p. 67. 



A nest of these beautiful little Geese was found on loth 

 February, and contained nine light cream-coloured eggs, which 

 are smooth and glossy, and oval in shape. They measure — 



(1) 1.70 X 1.38; (2) 1.67 x 1.35 ; (3) 1.64 X 1.36; (4) 1.66 X 

 1.36; (5) 1-67 X 1.36; (6) 1.62 X 1.3s; (7) 1.60 X 1.39; (8) 1.63 

 X 1.38 ; (9) 1.62 X 1.40 inches. 



Dendrocycna ARCUATA (Whistling-Duck.) 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. xxvii., p. 153. 



Three nests of this bird were found on ist and 7th February 



and 1st May. They contained 9, 6, and 3 eggs, which 



are glossy and smooth, and of a creamy-white, and, although 



fresh, were much nest-stained. They measure — (i) 2.01 x 1.54; 



(2) 2.02 X 1.53 ; (3) 2.04 X 1.57 ; (4) 2.05 X 1.54 ; (5) 2.03 x 1.56 ; 

 (6) 2.06 X 1.53 ; (7) 2.04 X 1.5s ; (8) 2.05 x 1.54 ; (9) 2.01 x 1.53 

 inches. 



Dendrocycna eytoni (Plumed Whistling-Duck). 

 Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. xxvii., p. 165. 

 The colour of the eggs of this Duck is white, and they are very 

 similar to those of the preceding species, being smooth and 

 slightly glossy. Three clutches of eggs were found, on 24th and 



