640 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION D, 
General breeding months are from July or August to December ; 
but it has been noticed in Queensland when some of the birds 
built early, in July or August, only one or a pair of eggs are laid 
as against a clutch of three or four laid when the season is more 
advanced and there is a great supply of food. Young Minahs 
have been seen in the nest on the Paroo, N.S.W., as late as April. 
Mr. Lau discovered at Warroo (Q.), a “poor soldier” hanging 
dead, having been strangled with a long horsehair, which the bird 
had been evidently conveying to its nest. 
This Minah’s nest is sometimes the receptacle for the smaller, 
flesh-coloured egg of the Pallid Cuckoo (Cuculus pallidus). I have 
never been fortunate enough myself to discover the strange egg in 
the Minah’s nest, but have seen several examples that were taken 
from such receptacles in the Ararat district. 
The young of the garrulous Minah assume the adult colouring 
from the nest. 
In 1891 Mr. C. F. Belcher, B.A., found a Minah’s nest near the 
ground, built in long grass and bracken—a somewhat unusual 
site. 
MANORHINA OBSCURA, Gould. 
“Dusky Minah.” 
Figure.—Gould, Bds. of Australia, fol., vol. iv, pl. 77. 
Reference.—Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., vol. ix, p. 260. 
Previous Description of Egqgs.—Gould, Bds. of Austr. (1848) ; 
also Hdbk., vol. i, p. 577 (1865). 
Geographical Distribution.—South and West Australia. 
Nest.—Cup shaped ; composed chiefly of dead twigs, lined inside 
with soft grasses, feathers, &c., and usually situated amongst the 
topmost forked branchlets of small trees or saplings. 
Eggs.—Clutch, 3-4; oval, compressed towards one end ; texture 
fine; surface slightly glossy ; colour, rich salmon, or rich reddish- 
buff, obscurely or softly marked with rich reddish-brown or 
chestnut and dull purplish-brown, forming a patch round the 
apex; resembles those of J/. flavigula, both being altogether 
different from the eggs of Jf, garrula. Dimensions in inches: (1) 
ay aes (CA) MOE Sc 27/1: 
Another pair taken near Broomhill, November, 1889, are some- 
what round, exceedingly rich in colouring—one example, contrary 
to the rule, being darkest on the smaller end: (1) ‘94 x ‘74; (2) 
O2ix “14, 
Observations.—I found this bird just as clamorous in the great 
western territory as the common species is in the eastern parts. 
The voices are almost identical in the two species, likewise the 
unmistakable struggling flight, and rapid motion of the wings, 
when the bird is flying from tree to tree. 
