Vol. II 



1903 



J Le Souef, Birds -eggs from Northern Australia. 1 43 



composed of short pieces of twig and cobweb, were very 

 shallow, and situated at a horizontal fork. The colour of the 

 eggs is green, well marked with olive-brown blotches, most 

 plentiful at the larger end ; the ground colour is slightly darker 

 in some eggs than others. Measurements — A, 1.33 x .93 ; B, (i) 

 1.30 X .89, (2) 1.28 X .85, (3) 1.28 X .'S)6 inches. 



Lalage LEUCOMEL^NA (Pied Caterpillar-catcher). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. iv., p. 106 ; Gould's Handbook, vol. i., pp. 

 202, 203, sp. no, II I. 



These birds are fairly plentiful about Port Darwin, but their 

 nests, being small, inconspicuous structures, are not often seen. 

 They are open, cup-shaped, and rather shallow, and are 

 composed of fine twigs well fastened together with cobwebs, 

 generally at a fork of a branch. The colour of the single egg 

 laid is very pale green, with purplish-brown markings scattered 

 fairly evenly over it ; it measures .98 x .66 inch, and was 

 found on 3rd December. 



Rhipidura tricolor (Black and White Fantail). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. iv., p. 339 ; Gould's Handbook, vol. i., pp. 

 244, 245, sp. 139, 140. 



This is probably the best known Fantail in Australia, and 

 is always a favourite. In choosing a nesting site it generally 

 prefers to have a leafy bough just above to screen its home from 

 observation. The nest is a beautiful structure, made of fine 

 grass, shreds of bark, &c., and well covered with cobwebs. This 

 Fantail builds from September to December. The eggs are a 

 very pale cream, marked with purplish-grey or purplish-brown 

 fine spots, which form a zone on the larger end. One clutch of 

 three measures— (i) .6^:, x .53; (2) .67 x .53; (3) .65 x .53 inch. 

 These birds are 6". picata of Gould. 



SiSURA INQUIETA (Restless Flycatcher). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. iv., p. 407 ; Gould's Handbook, vol. i., p. 246, 

 sp. 141. 



These birds are plentiful in the scrub-covered country, and 

 build their open nests in varying situations, sometimes low 

 down and at others high up. The nests are composed out- 

 wardly of shreds of bark and grass, with pieces of bark fastened 

 on with a small amount of cobweb, and are lined with dark- 

 coloured vine tendrils and a few fine rootlets. The eggs are 

 white, occasionally pale cream, with purplish-brown markings, 

 mostly forming a zone round the larger end, in some cases 

 confluent, but not always. They measure — A, (i) .74 x .58, 



(2) .75 X .60, (3) .y6 X .58; B, (i) .73 x 58, (2) .73 X .57, 



(3) 74 X .57 ; C, (i) .74 X .56, (2) .75 X .57 inch. All the nests 

 (about ten) were found in December and January. 



