Egg-CoUed'uKj in the BusJu't'ld. 27 



to the fork of some dead branch of and under tiie slielter of 

 some hirge tree; it is composed of shreds of bark, cleverly 

 disguised externally with pieces of lichen. 



Fairy Flycatcher (^Stenostira scita). — This species "was met 

 ■with in the open forest in the higher reaches of the Zoutjtaii 

 valley. It has the lively manner of Troc/iocerciis ajanomelas 

 and Parisoma plumhei(m, but 1 have not so far heard it utter 

 a note of any sort. 



Smithy's Wood-Shrike (Euroceplialus anguitimeiis). — There 

 are a number of these birds resident in the pan ; but they 

 are so shy that one has seldom more than a fleeting glance 

 of them as they fly off. Two nests with fresh eggs were 

 discovered on 3rd November^ one of the clutches being 

 taken. On the 19th November another clutch was taken 

 from the same nest and the nest itself cut down and brouoht 

 to the Museum. Again, by the 12th December, another 

 nest had apparently been constructed by the same pair of 

 birds in an adjacent tree and was ready for eggs. Other 

 nests were found at the same place during this period, and 

 were not disturbed ; the young were either just about to 

 leave the nest or had already done so on the last occasion. 

 The nests are very neat bowl-shaped structures, slung to the 

 thinner projecting branches, well protected above by the 

 matted tops of the thorn-trees ; they are composed of grass- 

 stems very firmly bound together and neatly plastered 

 outside with strong strips of cobweb, and measuring 120 mm. 

 across the outside, 85 inside, and 45 in depth inside ; their 

 position was so unassailable on account of the matted 

 branches of sharp, hooked, thorns, that it was only possible 

 to abstract the eggs by means of a long stick with the round 

 lid of a tin inserted in the tip. The eggs were four or five 

 in number, white with clearly defined spots, of various sizes, 

 of pale slate-blue and browni with a tinge of green; they 

 measured, in the first clutch, 27-3 x 22-8, 27'5 x 22, 28*5 

 X21-5, and 30x21; and in the second, 27-8-28 x 21-5- 

 22 mm. 



The alarm-call and general api)earance struck me as 



