Vol^. xiil.j Campbell, A Commonwealth Colleclion. 67 



examine the cabinets as they come, and mention the most striking 

 or important specimens. 



The Pachycephahne sub-family at once attracts attention b}^ the 

 number of red (salmon-tinted) mutations among the normally- 

 coloured sets of Thickheads or Whistlers, notably Pachycephala 

 l^iittiiralis, P. rit/iveiitris, and its near relation, P. falcata, the eggs 

 being pinkish and red spotted, like those of Honey-eaters. A 

 beautiful photo. (Jackson) of the rare nest and eggs of P. lanioides 

 is seen on pi. vii., Emu, vol. ix. 



The study of the Accipitres, or Hawks, &c., would take a chapter 

 to itself were we to describe all the striking sets, such as the 

 marbled beauty of those of the Black-shouldered Kite {Elanus 

 axillaris) — pi. xii., fig 6 — one egg in each set being generally 

 more marked on the smaller end ; the rich pinkish-red sets of the 

 Kestrel (Cerchneis cenchroides), some in exceedingly large clutches 

 — six to eight eggs : the rich and heavily-marked specimens of 

 the Osprey {Pandion leiicocephalits) — examples are from the four 

 sides of the continent, one set in particular, from near Mackay, 

 being remarkable for its softly-coloured appearance. (In con- 

 nection with a note by Mr. D. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S., on Mr. White's 

 collection, see photo. (Jackson) of the series of Ospreys' eggs.*) 

 The Little Eagle (Hieraetus morphnoides) is of special interest, 

 because Gould himself discovered this fine bird in the district 

 (Upper Hunter, 1839), as alluded to in the introduction ; and the 

 whitish eggs of the fierce Red Goshawk [Erythrotriorchis radiatus). 

 It seems strange that the eggs of such a bird should be spot- 

 less. 



Some sets of the various Sericornes are very similar to each 

 other, but whether or not Sericornis minimus is merely a northern 

 form of 5. frontalis, its eggs differ considerably from those of the 

 southern bird. The lengthened and acorn-like eggs of 5. citrci- 

 i^ularis are exceedingly singular. 



The richly-coloured, reddish, and round eggs of the Tree- 

 creepers {Climacteris) make a handsome show (examples, pi. xiii., 

 figs. II and 16), except those of C. leiicophcea (White-throated 

 Tree-creeper), which are almost white. According to the science 

 of oology, this species should be in a new genus. It certainly is 

 not a true Climacteris. Attention was directed to this at the 

 Hobart session (1903)! of the R.A.O.U. Mr. G. M. Mathews has 

 since proposed the new genus Neoclima for the White-throated 

 bird.J 



Regarding the Wood-Swallows [Artamiis], in sets of three or 

 four, none is wanting : but it is observed that, in the red-marked 

 eggs of the closely allied species, A. cinereiis and A. nielanops, 

 those of the former are slightly larger. 



The divisions containing the bower-building birds are the eye 

 of the collection — no words can describe their marvellous markings 

 and N'ariety There are pure white eggs of the Golden Bower- 



* Emu, vol. ix., pi. V. f Eitiu, vol. iii., p. 170). 



% Austral Avian Record, vol. i,, p. 115 (1912). 



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