146 Le Souef, Birds' -eggs from Northern Australia. [isfjlTn. 



(2) .56 X .43,. (3) .55 X .43 : B, (I) .55 X .40, (2) .52 X .41, (3) .53 

 X .42 inch. 



CiSTlCOLA EXILIS (Grass-Warbler). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. vii., p. 269 ; Gould's Handbook, vol. i., p. 350, 

 sp. 208-212. 



Many nests of these little birds were found during January 

 and February, the larger number in the former month. They 

 were largely composed of the down off the seeds of thistles and 

 similar plants and cobweb, and in most cases the birds had 

 sewn some of the leaves of the bush in which the nest was built 

 round the structure, the thread being made of cobweb, somewhat 

 similar to the nest of the Tailor-Bird. This was a great protec- 

 tion to the exceedingly light and delicate structure. The eggs 

 are of a beautiful glossy bluish-green colour, with reddish-brown 

 markings, which are larger in some clutclies than in others, and 

 most numerous on" the larger end. They measure — A, (i) .56 

 X .42 ; (2) .54 X .42 ; (3) .58 X .44 ; (4) .56 x .44 inch. 



Pachycephala FALCATA (Northern Thickhead). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. viii., p. 205 ; Gould's Handbook, vol. i., p. 

 213, sp. 117. 



Two nests of this bird were found, one containing three fresh 

 eggs and the other one ; dates, loth October and 26th January. 

 They were the usual cup-shaped structures, and made of fine 

 twigs .and grass. The eggs are olive, one clutch darker than the 

 other, and have olive-brown markings, those beneath the surface 

 being purplish-grey. The spots are most numerous on the larger 

 end. They measure — A, .82 x .6^ ; B, (i) .83 x .64, (2) .82 x 

 63> (3) -83 X .64 inch. 



ZOSTEROPS GULLIVERI (Gulliver White-eye). 

 Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. ix., p. 188. 

 This little bird's nest was found on 17th January, suspended 

 from a thin fork near the end of a branch ; it is composed out- 

 wardly of fine shreds of bark, with a little cobweb, and lined 

 with fine rootlets. It measures — external depth, 2 inches ; 

 external breadth, 2 inches ; internal depth, i inch ; internal 

 breadth, i^ inches. The eggs are a delicate bluish-green, 

 slightly darker than those of cceriilescens, and glossy. They 

 measure— (i) .58 x .42 ; (2) .58 x .40; (3) .58 x .40 inch. The 

 eggs of this bird have not hitherto been described. 



Glycyphila FASCIATA (White-breasted Honey-eater). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. ix., p. 212 ; Goulds Handbook, vol. i., p. 499, 

 sp. 303. 



This bird seems fairly plentiful, and several nests were found. 

 The latter are usually suspended near the end of some branch 

 on a shrub growing in or near a watercourse, and are com- 



