620 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION D. 
or pinkish-buff, darker on the apex ; moderately and finely spotted 
with pinkish-red and purplish-grey, the majority of the markings 
being about the larger end. Dimensions of a clutch in parts of an 
inch: (1) ‘85 x 66; (2) °82 x -63. 
Observations.-—This exceedingly handsome and attractive Honey- 
eater favours the more inland portions of South Queensland, New 
South Wales, and Victoria, and especially loves Ironbark (Eucalypt) 
forests. 
Some species of Honey-eaters are gregarious at times. Towards 
the end of our summer (March, 1889) I witnessed the unusual sight 
of about 100 or more of the beautiful Yellow-tufted Honey-eaters 
flying in a flock northward across the rich flats of Bacchus Marsh. 
I have observed Yellow-tufted Honey-eaters nesting in the Iron- 
bark saplings near Bendigo, also on the Upper Werribee, but was 
always unfortunate in the matter of securing eggs. A nest from 
the latter locality, found in a Golden Wattle (Acacia) sapling, was 
somewhat large, deep, and firmly built of fine strips of reddish 
strings of bark, together with spiders’ cocoons, and was lined inside 
with finer shreds of the same coloured bark, thistle-down, and such- 
like soft seeds. 
The eggs in my collection are from Dr. Ramsay, who has enjoyed 
early and delightful nesting experiences with this beautiful Honey- 
eater, and whose remarks I make no apology for quoting at length: 
“This species remains with us in the neighbourhood of Sydney 
throughout the whole year, breeding earlier than the generality of 
Honey-eaters. We have eggs in our collection taken early in June, 
and as late as the end of October, during which month they some- 
times have a third brood. August and September seem to be 
their principal months for breeding. Upon referring to my note- 
book, I find that I captured two young birds well able to fly, on 
the 18th of July, 1863 ; but during some seasons birds breed here 
much earlier than in others. The nest is a neat but somewhat 
bulky structure, open above, and composed of strips of the Stringy- 
bark tree (Hucalyptus obliqua). The total length of the nest is 
about four inches by from two inches and a-half to three inches 
wide, being two inches deep by one inch and a-half inside. The 
eggs, which are usually two in number, are of a pale flesh-pink, 
darker at the larger end, where they are spotted and blotched with 
markings of a much deeper hue, inclining to salmon-colour ; in 
some the markings form a ring upon the thick end, in others, one 
irregular patch with a few dots upon the rest of the surface. 
When freshly taken, they have a beautiful blush of pink, which 
they generally lose a few days after being blown. Their length is 
from ten to eleven lines by seven to eight in breadth. Some 
varieties have a few obsolete dots of faint lilac ; others are with- 
out markings, save one patch at the top of the larger end. Like 
most of our Australian birds’ eggs, they vary much in shape and 
