112 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



the southern portions of Australia and Tasmania, arriving in 

 August and retiring northwards as autumn approaches. It 

 is a very famihar species, and frequents the towns in com- 

 pany with the Swallow. I observed it to be particularly 

 numerous in the streets of Hobart Town, where it arrives 

 early in September ; the more southern and colder situation 

 of the island rendering all migratory birds later in their arrival 

 there. 



It breeds during the month of October in the holes of trees, 

 making no nest, but laying its eggs on the soft dust generally 

 found in such places : the eggs are from three to live in num- 

 ber, of a pinky white faintly freckled at the larger end with 

 fine spots of light reddish brown ; they are eight lines long 

 by six lines broad. 



Considerable difference exists both in size and in the depth 

 of colouring of specimens killed in New South Wales, Swan 

 River, and Tasmania ; but as there exists no distinctive cha- 

 racter of marking, I regard them as local varieties rather than 

 as distinct species. Tasmanian specimens are larger in all 

 their admeasurements, and have the fulvous tint of the under 

 surface and the bangl across the forehead much deeper than 

 in those killed in New South Wales ; individuals from the 

 latter locality again exceed in size those from Western 

 Australia. 



Specimens of this bird, identical with others from New 

 South Wales, were brought from the Aru Islands by Mr. 

 Wallace. 



Genus LAGENOPLASTES, Gould. 



The little Fairy Martin of Australia, the constructor of a 

 singular retort-shaped nest, is the type of the present genus ; 

 in which I think must also be placed another species in 

 my collection, which I received from India, and which pre- 

 cisely resembles it in form and greatly in colo\u\ What 



