NESTS AND EGGS OF HONEY-EATERS, 609 
Geographical Distribution.—Queensland, New South Wales and 
Victoria. 
Nest.—Cup-shaped, neat ; composed of shreds of bark matted 
with spider’s web and cocoons; lined inside with fine shreds 
of bark, a few rootlets, hair, and sometimes the silky down from 
seed vessels or cotton material gathered in the neighbourhood of 
habitations ; usually placed among the branchlets at the end of a 
horizontal Eucalyptus bough. Dimensions over all 24 inches by 
2 inches in depth, egg cavity 2 inches across by 1} deep. 
Eggs.—Clutch 1-3, but usually 2; oval, compressed towards 
one end ; texture of shell fine ; surface has a faint trace of gloss ; 
colour, rich salmon on buff, marked more or less distinctly about 
the apex with pinkish-red and purplish-brown. Dimensions in 
parts of an inch of odd examples—(1) ‘77 x 56; (2) °75 x ‘55. 
Observations.—The range of the Kuscous Honey-eater extends 
from Northern Queensland down to probably South Australia. 
Although this Honey-eater is not distinguished by any brilliancy 
of colour, Gould has painted itin a pretty word picture. Referring 
to the bird in the brushes of New South Wales, he says, “ In the 
months of August and September, when the beautiful Z’ecoma is 
in blossom, the Honey-eater may be seen flitting about among the 
thick clusters of the pendant flowers in search of insects, which 
are sometimes captured on the wing, but more generally extracted 
from the tubular florets.” 
In the Bendigo district, Victoria, towards the Campaspie River, 
I once came upon quite a number of Fuscous Honey-eaters feeding 
upon Grevillea bushes that grew in a snug hollow in an Ironbark 
(Eucalypt) forest. I did not see a nest, however, until I went to 
Coomooboolaroo, Queensland, where I observed one suspended 
among the flowering branchlets of a Eucalytus near the lagoon. 
The Messrs. Barnard informed me that like many other birds, 
the Fuscous Honey-eater lays according to the season ; if droughty 
one or two eggs are laid, if the season be good three are deposited. 
Once a clutch of four was taken which is, of course, an exceptional 
complement. 
Breeding months, August to December, or later. 
PTrILOTIS LEWINI, Swainson. 
“‘ Yellow-eared Honey-eater.” 
Figure.—Gould, Bds. of Australia, fol., vol. iv, pl. 32. 
heference.—Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., vol. ix, p. 229. 
Previous Descriptions of Eggs.—Gould, Bds. of Austr. (1848), 
also Hdbk, vol. i, p. 504 (1865). Ramsay, P.Z.S., p. 595 (1875). 
North, Cat. Nests and Eggs, Austn. Mus., p. 199 (1889). 
Geographical Distribution.—Queensland, N.S. Wales, and Vic- 
toria, 
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