Vol. II, 

 1903 



j Le Souef, Birds' -eggs from Northerii Australia. 145 



dome-shaped hanging nest, very similar to that of P. personata ; 

 it is generally suspended from near the end of a branch of a 

 shrub, and from about 10 to 15 feet from the ground, and is 

 composed of fine long grass-stalks and coarser shreds, and on 

 the outside are fastened on with cobweb, numerous round white 

 scale larvae, cocoons, pieces of lichen, and excreta of caterpillars, 

 and it is lined with very fine grass and a soft white material 

 which looks like thistle down, and measures — exterior length 

 8^ inches, width 2^ inches; nesting chamber, 2 inches deep 

 hy ij^ inches wide. The covering or porch over the entrance 

 is large, being 2 inches square, and the opening into the nest is 

 about I inch square. The eggs are white, speckled over with 

 small reddish-brown markings, most numerous on the larger end, 

 where they generally form a zone. They measure — A, (i) .68 x 

 .46, (2) .64 x .46 ; B, (i) .63 x .46, (2) ,64 X. 46 inch. These 

 eggs have not been described before, as far as I am aware, and 

 one clutch was found on 9th January and the other on 17th 

 March. 



PSEUDOGERYGONE CHLORONOTA (Green-backed Fly-eater). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. iv., p. 229 ; Gould's Handbook, vol. i., p. 271, 

 sp. 160. 



This little bird also keeps in the dense scrub-covered country, 

 especially among the mangroves, and, being of an inconspicuous 

 colour, is difficult to catch sight of. Its dome-shaped nest is 

 generally suspended from a thin branch, and is composed of soft 

 shreds of grass and fine rootlets, and plentifully lined with 

 thistle down. It measures — external length, 4^ inches ; ex- 

 ternal breadth, 3^ inches; and the nesting chamber is 2 x 

 2)4 inches. The eggs are white, plentifully marked with 

 fine, elongated reddish-brown dots, which predominate at the 

 larger end, sometimes forming a zone. They measure — A, (i) 

 .68 X .48, (2) .68 X .47, (3) .69 X .48; B, (i) .69 X .46, (2) .65 

 X .46; C, (i) .dy X .47, (2) .66 x .48 inch. They were all found 

 in December. This is another species whose eggs I do not 

 think have been described before. 



Malurus dorsalis (Red-backed Wren). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., voi. iv., p. 296 ; Gould's Handbook, vol. i., p. 334, 

 sp. 179. 



These Wrens are the smallest of the Maluri, and are plenti- 

 ful in suitable localities in Northern Australia. Several of 

 their nests were found ; they were the usual dome-shaped 

 structure, and were composed of shreds of grass, and lined with 

 fine grass. Some of the nests have leaves and thistle down 

 worked in, others grass only. The eggs are white, with dark 

 reddish markings on, which are more numerous at the larger 

 end, frequently forming a zone. Two clutches, which were found 

 on 1st February and 23rd January, measure — A, (i) .56 x 43, 



