THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. I4. r ) 



success. Walking on, in about half a mile we struck the old 

 road from One Tree Hill to the station, and were soon descending 

 as rough a piece of walking as we had encountered all day. This, 

 however, has recently been superseded by a road with an easier 

 gradient, though much longer. After another pause at the gully 

 we made for the station, thus ending a most enjoyable outing, 

 though at times rather warm. Beyond those mentioned few 

 insects were seen. Birds were very scarce ; no snakes, and but 

 few lizards were seen. — F. G. A. Barnard. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE NEST AND EGG OF THE 

 RIFLE BIRD. 



By A. J. Campbell. Communicated by D. Le Souef. 

 (Read before Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, Wth January, 1897.) 



The discovery of the nest and egg of the Rifle Bird, Ptilorhis 

 paradisea, Latham, is of considerable importance. It is 71 years 

 ago since the bird itself was described, and yet only this season 

 have the nest and egg been brought to light. The nest was taken 

 in the Richmond River scrub, on 19th November last, by Messrs. 

 W. T. Bailey and Isaac Foster. It was built in a buoyong sap- 

 ling, Tarrietia (sp.), at a height of about 40 feet from the ground, 

 the nest being placed in an entanglement of vines, which covered 

 the top of the tree. A peculiar feature of the nest was its adorn- 

 ment with shed snake skins, the largest pieces being on the top 

 edge, while a few small bits were in the nest. The nest and egg 

 are exhibited here to-night. 



Nest. — Somewhat bulky; outwardly constructed chiefly of 

 green stems and fronds of a climbing fern, with a few other 

 broad leaves at the base, ornamented round the rim with 

 portions of shed snake skins, probably from the Carpet Snake, 

 Morelia variegata, lined inside with wire-like rootlets and 

 a few scales of snake's skin at the bottom. Dimensions in 

 inches — over all 8-9 in. by 4 in. in depth ; egg cavity 4 in. across 

 by 2 in. deep. 



Egg.— In shape, inclined to oval, but more swollen about the 

 upper quarter; shell, fine in texture, surface somewhat uneven, 

 but slightly lustrous ; colour, rich fleshy tint, moderately but 

 boldly marked or streaked longitudinally with reddish brown and 

 purplish brown, the markings being more numerous on the apex 

 and upper quarter. Some of the markings have the appearance 

 of having been painted on with a fine brush. The egg resembles 

 in general character the smaller egg of Victoria's Rifle Bird, but 

 is richer in the ground colour, with the markings not so 

 elongated. Dimensions in inches — 1.29 x 0.98. 



