J 48 Le Souef, Birds' -eggs from Northern Australia. [ist'™" 



Jan. 



Philemon BUCEROIDES (Helmeted Friar-Bird). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. ix., p. 272 ; Gould's Handbook, vol. i., p. 547, 

 sp- 335- 

 These noisy birds are more plentiful in northern Queensland 

 than about Port Darwin. One of their open, suspended nests 

 was found on 19th September, and it contained four fresh e^gs, 

 although the usual clutch is three. They are a pinkish-white, 

 boldly marked with reddish and reddish-brown blotches, slightly 

 more numerous at the larger end. The eggs of this bird vary 

 considerably in their markings, some having a few fine ones; 

 others, again, are finely speckled, as well as having bold blotches ; 

 another type is thickly marked all over with red, the markings 

 being more or less confluent, and the ground colour is pink. A 

 clutch of four measures— (i) 1.23 x .87 ; {2) 1.26 x .88 ; (3) 1.19X 

 .85 ; (4) 1.23 X .87 inches. 



Philemon citreogularis, sub-species sordidus (Little 



Friar-Bird). 

 Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. ix., p. 277 ; Gould's Handbook, vol. i., p. 550, 



sp. ^2,'^- 

 The Little Friar-Bird builds an open, suspended nest, 

 generally of shreds of bark and fine grass, but occasionally of 

 leaves of the casuarina tree ; as in the case of the before- 

 mentioned bird, the eggs of the Little Friar-Bird vary much in 

 markings. The ground colour is pale pink, well marked with 

 reddish-brown blotches, which in some cases form a confluent 

 zone round the larger end, those beneath the surface being grey ; 

 some eggs are pink and well covered with reddish markings. 

 A clutch of three measures — (i) 1.12 x .y^; (2) 1.8 x .78 ; (3) 

 1.02 X .74 inches. 



PetrochelidoN ARIEL (Fairy Martin). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. x., p. 199 ; Gould's Handbook, vol. i., p. 114, 

 sp. 56. 



These little birds are found all over Australia, and also in 

 Tasmania. They generally build their retort-shaped mud nests 

 in colonies and under cover, such as the excrescences on trees, 

 also under bridges, &c., and almost ii;variably near water. The 

 eggs are white, with fine speckles of reddish-brown, sometimes 

 forming a zone round the larger end ; occasionally there are no 

 markings. A full clutch of five measures — (i) .66 x .46 ; (2) .6)^ 

 X .47 ; (3) .68 x .48 ; (4) .64 x .48 ; (5) .62 x .45 inch. Date, 5th 

 October. 



Artamus leucogaster (White-rumped Wood-Swallow). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. xiii., p. 3 ; Gould's Handbook, vol. i., p. 155, 

 sp. 80. 



Only one nest of this bird was found, and it was the usual 

 open structure, composed of coarse grass, and lined with finer 



