604 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION D. 
Geographical Distribution.—New South Wales, Victoria, South, 
West, and North-west Australia. 
Nest.—Cup-shaped, somewhat shallow ; composed of pieces of 
grass (Spinifex) matted well with spiders’ web ; inside lined with 
finer grass ; usually suspended by the rim in the horizontal forked 
branchlet of alow tree. Dimensions, over all, about 4 inches ; 
egg cavity about 2 inches across (Keartland). 
LFggs.—Clutch, 2-3 ; oval in shape, more compressed at one end ; 
texture, fine ; surface slightly ; glossy; colour, soft, warm, white or 
light yellowish- white, finely but strongly spotted all over with 
sepia or dark umber, intermingled with spots and patches of light 
or dull grey. Quite exceptional in colour and character to the 
general rule for Honey-eaters’ eggs, and resemble more small eggs 
of the common Wood-swallow (A. sordidus). Dimensions of a 
clutch in parts of an inch (1) ‘92 x -65 ; (2) ‘9 x "69; (3) "60ee 
‘65. A smaller pair (1) ‘86 x -62; (2) 86 x “61, 
Observations.—The Pied Honey-eater ranges across Southern 
Australia. Gilbert says it is a periodical visitor to the west, 
where it arrives in the latter part of October. He has observed 
the birds assembling in great flocks, which continue to soar during 
the greater portion of the day—a rather remarkable trait for 
Honey-eaters. 
However, in the North-west Desert, Mr. G. A. Keartland notices 
something similar, for he records, “ Towards the end of October 
(1896) flocks of these birds frequently passed us going north.” 
The knowledge we possess about the rare Pied Honey-eater is 
somewhat scant. The nest and eggs collected by the late Mr. 
K. H. Bennett, and described by Dr. Ramsay* were no doubt, as 
Mr. Keartland has pointed out, referable to the Pied Robin (2. 
bicolor), and not the Pied-Honey-eater. 
I had the eggs (two clutches) in my collection since 1890, from 
the Gascoigne district, W.A., but as no data accompanied the 
specimens I was unable to identify them until Mr. Keartland 
recognised them by a nest he found during the progress of the 
ill-starred Calvert Expedition through North-western Australia. 
The nest was found on the 22nd October, 1896, about 7 feet from 
the ground, in a “cork’-tree, and was among the specimens left 
at the abandoned depdét in the desert. It is melancholy to reflect 
that this particular nest and single egg were found only a day or 
two before Mr. Keartland and Mr. G. L. Jones finally parted, the 
latter, as will be well remembered, perishing from thirst in the 
sand ridges of that terrible region, 
However, another pair of eggs taken near the Fitzroy River, 
March, 1897, was received by Mr. Keartland. 
* P.L.S.N.S.W., vol. vii, p. 414 (1882). 
