XVII 



IQT7 



1 White, Nes/ and Eggs of Rufous-cyowned Em-n-Wren. 30 



Description of Nest and Eggs of the Rufous^crowned 



Emu'Wren (Stipiturus ruficeps, Campbell). 



By H. L. White, M.B.O.U., R.A.O.U. 



Types. — Two eggs, swollen or rounded oval in shape ; surface 

 of shell line and slightly glossy. Ground colour white (possessing 

 a very slight trace of pinkish-buff), well marked all over, par- 

 ticularly at the larger ends, with spots and specks of reddish- 

 brown, while intermingled here and there are a few of light umber. 



Specimen A is heavily marked at the larger end, while the zone 

 in specimen B is more irregular and broken and the markings 

 smaller. 



The eggs appear to be intermediate in size between those of 

 Stipiturus westernensis and S. mallee. 



{a) .60 X .47, {h) .61 X .47. 



Nest an oval structure, with entrance at the side like the nest 

 of Mahirns. Composed of fine bark, grass, and spiders' webs, 

 lined with feathers and flowers of shrubs. It was situated about 

 120 yards from the beach, and placed a foot from the ground in 

 the middle of a small bush. When the bird got off the nest it 

 fluttered through the undergrowth, and appeared again about 

 15 yards away on the top of another shrub. Two eggs were in 

 the nest, with incubation about five or six days old, judging by 

 their appearance when blown. 



Taken for Mr. Rowland Archer by Mr. Jim Box at North-West 

 Cape. Western Australia, on 13th October, igi6. 



Description of the Eggs and Nesting^place of Strix 

 Candida, Tickell (Tyto longimembris walleri, 

 Mathews), Australian GrasS'OwI. 



By a. Chas. Stone, R.A.O.U., South Yarra, Victoria. 



The rarity of the eggs of this bird must be my apology for the 

 following extended description of them and the nesting-site. 



Gould refers to them as being rare birds, but gives no informa- 

 tion relating to either nest or eggs, whilst both Campbell and 

 Mathews refer to Mr. J. A. Boyd as having found, on ist June, 

 1884, in the Herbert District, Queensland, two nests of this bird, 

 each of which contained three young ones and one e^^, and that 

 it was a curious fact that, though this bird always lays four 

 eggs, he had never found more than three young ones in a nest, 

 one egg always being addled. 



On 9th May, 1917, Mr. Fredk. L. Berney wrote me to the effect 

 that he had recently found a nest of Strix Candida containing the 

 unusual number of six eggs, and, as they were " not common," 

 he was sending them down to me. Owing to his kind thoughful- 



