INSESSORES. 473 



Australia. I found it inhabiting the pine ridges, as they are 

 termed by the colonists, bordering the extensive plains of the 

 Upper and Lower Namoi, and giving a decided preference to 

 the Callitris pyramidalis, a fine fir-like tree peculiar to the 

 district. It was always seen in small companies of three or 

 four together, on the topmost branches of the trees, was 

 extremely quick and restless, leaping from branch to branch 

 in rapid succession, at the same time throwing up and 

 expanding the tail and wings ; these actions being generally 

 accompanied with a harsh unpleasant note ; their manners, 

 in fact, closely resemble those of the White-winged Corcorax 

 and the Pomatorhini. 



The following notes on this species I find in Gilbert's 

 journal of the occurrences during his expedition with Leichardt 

 from Moreton Bay to Port Essington. They were written on 

 the sixteenth day after his departure, and will not be devoid 

 of interest : — 



" Oct. 19. — Strolled about in search of novelties, and was 

 amply repaid by finding the eggs of Stridhidea cinerea. I 

 disturbed the bird several times from a rosewood-tree grow- 

 ing in a small patch of scrub, and felt assured it had a nest, 

 but could only find one, which I considered to be that of a 

 GraUina ; determined, if possible, to solve the difficulty, I lay 

 down at a short distance within full view of the tree, and was 

 not a little surprised at seeing the bird take possession of, as 

 I believed, the GraUina^ nest ; I immediately climbed the tree 

 and found four eggs, the medium length of which was one 

 inch and a quarter by seven-eighths of an inch in breadth ; 

 their colour was white, with blotches, principally at the larger 

 end, of reddish brown, purplish grey and greenish grey ; some 

 of the blotches appearing as if they had been laid on with a 

 soft brush. From the appearance of the nest I should say it 

 was an old one of GraUina, particularly as it contained a much 

 greater quantity of grass for a lining than I ever observed in 

 the nest of a Gallina while that bird had possession of it ; if 



