A.J. 
Data Campbell's No. of 
No. 
559 
560 
No. in 
Book. 
56 
Eggs. 
2 
THE JACKSONIAN OOLOGICAL COLLECTION. 
ALBERT RIFLE BIRD OF PARADISE, 
Ptilorhis alberti, Elliot. 
(This bird was named after the late Prince Albert-Consort). 
This handsome clutch of 2 eggs was taken in the rich tropical scrubs at Cape York, North Queens- 
land, by H. Barnard, on the 26th of November, 1896. They are of a creamy-buff ground colour, and 
not a flesh tint, as is the case with those of the two previous species. They are beautifully streaked, 
longitudinally, with brownish-olive and rufous-brown and pale slate ; the markings being so long, and 
gradually tapering to a point towards the smaller end of the egg, as to naturally make the uninitiated 
conclude that an artist had been trying his small brushes on them. The markings on all the eggs of 
the Birds of Paradise, consist of these same strange streaks, which look decidedly artificial. The eggs 
of this bird are much more rounded, and less pointed, ay Perey aS 
than those of the two preceding species, and like Ptilorhis © : a 
victoria, this one also builds its nests down very low, so they 
may frequently be reached with the hand from the ground, 
H. Barnard found no less than fourteen of these nests in 
the scrubs at Cape York during season 1896-7, and this 
goes to show that the birds must be very plentiful there. 
Several of the nests found were only placed at a height 
of from six to ten feet. I have seen the nest of the New 
South Wales species (Ptilovhis paradisea) built nearly fifty 
feet from the ground. Specimen A. has thicker and 
longer streaks on it than specimen B. (as will be seen by EGGS OF THE ALBERT RIFLE BIRD OF 
the accompanying illustration of these two eggs), and PARA 
Sas c (Nearly natural size.) 
measures in inches = 1°29 x o'94. Specimen B. 
ae: (Clutch data No. 559.) 
measures in inches = 1°28 x 0°96, 
Drawer O. 
BOOBOOK OWL, 
Ninox boobook, Latham. 
(With notes on the Chestnut-faced and Powerful Owls). 
Set of 2 eggs, which was taken by T. A. Brittlebank from the hollow spout of a dead tree near 
Myrniong, Victoria, on the 9th of October, 1896. Owls eggs are exceedingly difficult to procure, owing 
to the fact that the birds only leave the nest at night, it being always placed in a hollow portion of 
atree. Out of the fourteen species known in Australia, the eggs of only six or seven of them have 
been so far described. Of the set under notice Specimen A. measures = 1.73 x 1°50 Specimen B. 
measures = 1°77 xX 1°50. This is the bird that cries ‘“‘more-pork” at night, and not that broad flat- 
billed bird, the Frog-mouth (/odargus), as is generally supposed by so many people. Boobook is 
probably another appellation for its ‘‘ more-pork” note, and hence the name. We have frequently 
hunted this Owl from hollows of trees in the Clarence River district during our peregrinations, but 
never once did we find its eggs. On the 11th of November, 1906, I founda nest of the Chestnut- 
faced Masked Owl (Strix nove hollandie castanops), Gould, in the bush near Lindfield, only eight 
miles from Sydney. It was placed three feet down the hollow trunk of a Spotted Eucalypt (Eucalyptus 
124 
