12 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



NOTE. 



Note on the Large-billed Shrike-Robin {Eopsaltria magni- 

 rostris, Ramsay). 



According to Dr. Ramsay's tabular list, this variety of his is 

 found in the coastal regions of Queensland ; but if the species 

 holds good, as I believe it does, the sub-tropical scrubs of New 

 South Wales should be added to its habitat. 



In the " Big Scrub " of the Richmond River district, Novem- 

 ber, 1 89 1, I observed one or two pairs of this bird, and succeeded 

 in finding a nest, which was situated on a Lawyer Palm (Calamus) 

 cane and contained two eggs ; one, unfortunately, got broken in 

 transit to Melbourne. 



However, I have since received another set, and my son has 

 brought a pair (male and female) of the birds from the same 

 locality. There appears good reason for Dr. Ramsay having 

 separated this variety, which, as Gould states, is like M chrys- 

 orrhous in colour, " but having a conspicuously larger bill and 

 shorter wings." There is just one doubt in my mind, whether the 

 large-billed are not really the males of E. chri/sorrhous. 



Gould describes E. chrysorrho\is as " rather larger than E. 

 australis, and is similar in colour, except that the rump as well 

 as the breast is of a beautiful jonquil-yellow." This is the species 

 figured in the folio edition of " Birds of x\ustralia," vol. iii., pi. 2, 

 and is not the common Yellow Shrike-Robin, E. australis, so 

 familiarly known to us in southern forests, which has the upper 

 tail coverts dull greenish (wax) yellow, and not bright yellow as in 

 the more northern varieties. However, reference to the British 

 Museum Catalogue will show that the three varieties are bunched 

 as one. Australian workers and field ornithologists, at all events, 

 will hardly accept that verdict without further evidence. There 

 are at least two species. 



Nest. — Similar in shape and construction to that of E. 

 australis, but somewhat larger, and placed on the canes of a 

 Lawyer Palm (Calamus), in dense scrub. Dimensions of egg 

 cavity, 2 ^ inches across x i ^^ deep. 



Eggs — Clutch 2-3 ; roundish in form, much more pointed 

 at one end ; texture of shell fine ; surface slightly glossy ; 

 colour, light greyish-green, minutely spotted and splashed all 

 over, thickest around the apex, with reddish-brown or chestnut. 

 Dimensions, "87 x '68 inch. 



Another pair is more oval, light green in colour, and not so 

 minutely spotted, the markings being more blotched in character, 

 and similar to those of the common Yellow Robin, E. australis. 

 Dimensions in inches : — (i) "9 x '64 ; (2) -89 x -65. 



A. J. Campbell. 

 14th February, 1898. 



