144 ^^- SOUEF, Birds' -eggs from X or them Australia. [isf^an. 



PlEZORHYNCHUS NITIDUS (Shining Flycatcher). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. iv., p. 416 ; Gould's Handbook, vol. i., p. 249, 

 sp. 142. 



The eggs of these birds are sHghtly larger than those of the 

 preceding species, and the markings more diffused. The large 

 majority of their open nests were found in January, but a few 

 in February. They are made of shreds of melaleuca bark, with 

 a small quantity of cobweb on the outside, and are lined with 

 fine grass-stalks. The structures are somewhat loosely built. 

 The eggs are white, slightly lustrous, with grey and greyish- 

 brown markings, more plentiful on the larger end, where they 

 usually form a zone, and are more or less confluent. They 

 measure— A, (i) .83 x .58, (2) .84 x .58; B, (i) .81 x .59, (2) .83 

 X .62 ; C, (i) .^6 X .56, (2) .75 X .58 inch. 



Petrceca RAMSAYI (Red-throated Robin). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. iv., p. 172. 



These pretty little birds are met with in the Port Darwin 

 district, but are not plentiful. Only one of their nests was found, 

 on 8th December, and this contained one fresh ^^g. The nest 

 was the usual open structure, and compactly built of fine shreds 

 of bark and grass, ornamented outwardly with a few pieces of 

 lichen and bark, fastened on with cobweb. It is lined with fine 

 shreds of grass and a little fur, and measures — internal depth, 

 i^ inches ; internal breadth, i^ inches; external depth, 23^ 

 inches ; external breadth, 2^ inches. It was situated about 

 8 feet from the ground in a nearly upright fork of a eucalyptus 

 tree. The &^^ is very pale bluish-green, with delicate greyish- 

 brown markings, those beneath the surface being very pale 

 purplish-grey. These markings are more plentiful on the larger 

 end. The &^^ is fine and glossy, and measures .63 x .48 inch. 



PSEUDOGERYGONE BRUNNEIPECTU^ (Brown-breasted Fly-eater). 

 Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. iv., p. 221. 

 One nest of this bird was found, on 26th March, suspended 

 from near the end of a thin branch overhanging the river. It is 

 a bulky structure for such small birds ; it is loosely built of very 

 fine dark-coloured rootlets, vine tendrils, and frayed grass, its 

 length being 10^ inches and breadth 4 inches. The nesting 

 chamber is 3^ inches high by 2 inches broad, and the opening 

 into the nest about i ^ inches. The eggs are pinkish-white, 

 and thickly freckled with reddish-brown, especially on the larger 

 end. In one egg the markings are confluent on the larger end. 

 They measure — (i) .^^ x .44; (2)- .64 x .42 inch. The eggs 

 of this bird have not been described before. 



PSEUDOGERYGONE L/EVIGASTRA (Buff-breasted P'ly-eater). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. iv., p. 223 ; Gould's Handbook, vol. i., p. 270, 

 sp. 159. 



This little bird is found in scrubby country, and builds a 



