Nests, Eggs, and Play -grounds of Australian Boivcr- Birds. 21 



the ground. The nest was built in a three-pronged fork of 

 a tree, about 14 feet from the ground. The tree was only 

 4 inches in diameter, and was in a jungle of light scrub, 

 about 50 yards from the edge of open country. I felled the 

 tree and secured the nest." 



A beautiful figure of the nest is given in the Records. 



From Mr Lan's manuscript notes I take — 



" The name Cat-Bird is derived from its lamentable noise, 

 not unlike that of a cat, but more that of a crying child. 

 In the dense scrub at Cooyar, a little south of the Biinya 

 Mountains, the oft repeated sound was aggravating to me, 

 so, when I could get a glimpse of the bird, a gunshot made 

 an end to my ghastly neighbour. It was November 1886, 

 at Cunningham's Gap, where I happily found a nest 5 feet 

 from the ground, between the triple fork of a young tree, 

 and an exquisite nest it was. Half way up from the bottom 

 consisted of dry fig-leaves, beautifully fastened with twining 

 rootlets, and stronger ones from the rim, and lined with dry 

 grass and roots. Finding only 1 egg in it, I waited for two 

 days more, when there were 2. I concluded such to be 

 the clutch. Although it is said that the Cat-Bird makes a 

 bower, I never saw one of its own, but several times have 

 seen it poking about the bower of the Satin-Bird." 



Breeding months include from about the middle of 

 September to January. 



^LURCEDUS MACULOsus, Eamsay. 

 Spotted Cat- Bird. 



Figure. — Gould-Sliarpe, Birds of New Guinea, vol. i. pi. 38. 



Reference. — Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vi. p. 385. 



Descriptions of Eggs. — North, P.L.S., N.W.S., vol. iii., 2nd Series 



(1888); Le Souef, Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, vol. vii., New Series, 



p. 20 (1894). 



Geographical Distribution, — North Queensland. 



Nest. — Open, bulky; outwardly composed of leaves and 

 twigs, mixed with fine rootlets ; lined inside with fine wire- 

 like tendrils ; usually situated near the top of a slender tree 



