iy2 Macgillivkay, Notes on Some N. Queensland Birds. I ,sf 'T,,. 



5 feet from the ground. It was composed outwardly of fine bark, 

 strips of grass, and skeleton leaves, and lined with fine rootlets and 

 horsehair. It contained three eggs, one of which was a Cuckoo's 

 {Chalcococcyx basalis.) In Western New South Wales this species 

 builds on or very close to the ground. Mr. M'Lennan found it 

 frequenting the tea-tree along all the rivers from the Cloncurry to 

 the Brook, near Burketown. 



Malurus amabilis. Lovely Wren-Warbler. — This species represents 

 the Chestnut-shouldered group at Cape York. The female, being 

 blue, differs markedly from the females of the other Maluri. It 

 frequents the scrubs, where it is quite common, and is rarely seen 

 out of them, and then only when crossing from one patch of scrub 

 to another. The largest flock noted consisted of one fully plumaged 

 and two immature males and four females. In the breeding 

 season three birds — a male and two females — and occasionally only 

 the pair, were met with. Their call note is very feeble, and can only 

 be heard a few feet away. The nest is usually placed in a small, 

 thorny bush within a foot of the ground, and one found on the 7th 

 March contained a Cuckoo's egg similar to those found in the nests 

 of Glyciphila modesta. Nesting takes place during the wet season. 



(J, irides black, bill black, legs bluish-white. Stomach contents, 

 insects. Total length, 4f inches. 



Malurus coronatus. Pvirple-crowned Wren-Warbler. — Mr. M'Lennan 

 first met with this fine, large Malurus on the Leichhardt River, 25 miles 

 beyond Caloola Station, where it inhabited the cane-grass growing 

 near the water's edge. This river may be regarded as marking its 

 eastern range. It was common in the cane-grass and pandanus 

 along the Gregory River. Its call note is very loud, and like that 

 of Sericornis frontalis of southern parts. When he was standing still 

 this bird came within 4 feet of Mr. M'Lennan, and showed no sign of 

 fear. 



(J, irides brown, bill black, legs light slate. 



Malurus cruentatus- Red-backed Wren-Warbler. — Mr. M'Lennan 

 obtained his first nest of this species at Cairns on the ist December, 1909, 

 where he found the birds rather plentiful. He next met with them 

 at Sedan on 20th February, 19 10, in a long Mitchell and cane-grass 

 swamp. A male was secured in brown plumage with a crimson dorsal 

 patch. These birds probably assume their full breeding dress in 

 the spring, rear a brood, lose their livery, and then, with' 

 the revival of all vegetable and insect life which follows the summer 

 rains, breed again in their ordinary brown dress. This male 

 was found to have enlarged sexual organs. Irides blackish, bill 

 dark brown, legs reddish-brown. 



The accompanying females were found to be tending a young bird 

 that had only recently left the nest. Another pair was found 

 building a nest, which was afterwards deserted. 



At Byromine, on the loth April, Mr. M'Lennan was rather puzzled 

 with these birds when he found them mated and nesting with both 

 male and female alike in plain brown plumage. He found two nests 

 containing eggs and secvired the pair of birds from the second one. 

 Both were brown. 



^ had one abnormally enlarged testicle. Irides brown, bill brown > 

 legs brown. ?, irides brown, bill and legs light brown. Stomach 

 contents in both, small grasshoppers and other insects. 



