294 Zoological Society : — 



advances, their melancholy cry assumes a more cheerful tone, but is 

 less often heard, giving place to a quicker and more harsh note. 



The shrill vi^histle of the Bronze Cuckoos (Chalcites lucidus) is 

 now more often heard, accompanied by the mellow notes of the 

 Brown Flycatcher (Micrceca macroptera), singing on the topmost 

 bough of some neighbouring tree ; and the twittering of the Acan- 

 thizce as they sport among the leafy branches of the Eucalypti, cling- 

 ing to the ends of the twigs and leaves in every possible attitude, the 

 tremulous anxious piping of the Spine-bills {Acanthorhynchus tenui- 

 rostris), the varied inward note of the Silver-eye (Zosterops dor- 

 salts), with other species far too many to mention here, keep up a 

 merry chorus, and, tired of the winter fogs, welcome the bright 

 spring mornings. 



As the birds pair off and the nesting- season commences, this Cuckoo 

 seems to be less plentiful. Either some of them leave us, or they 

 scatter over the bush so thinly that we do not observe their numbers. 

 If some do migrate at this time, still many remain to deposit their 

 eggs and to avail themselves of the nests of those species most suited 

 to become the foster-parents of their young, after which they com- 

 mence to leave us, and, with the exception of a few stragglers and 

 young, appear to have all departed before the end of December. 



Among those species the nests of which are favoured by visits 

 from this "parasite" is Acanthiza pusilla, from a nest of which, in 

 September 1863, we took no less than four eggs — two laid by the 

 rightful owner of the nest, the other two by Cuckoos. One of these 

 was a very fine specimen of var. B of Chalcites lucidus, the other 

 an egg of the present species — Cuculus cineraceus. The entrance 

 of this nest was greatly enlarged, being in width fully two inches ; 

 and the hood, which usually conceals the entrances (which are near 

 the top of the nest, and not generally wider than one inch across), 

 was pushed back to such an extent that the eggs were rendered 

 quite visible. 



I have now before me ten nests of Acanthizce and four of Maluri, 

 the former comprising Acanthiza lineata, A. nana, A. pusilla, and 

 yvhat at present I believe to be that of A. reguloides, the latter 

 Malurus cyaneus and M. Lamberti. 



Now, having compared the greatly enlarged entrances of those 

 from which we have taken Cuckoos' eggs with the entrances of those 

 which did not contain the egg of a Cuckoo, and which we took as 

 soon as the bird had laid its full number of eggs for a sitting, I 

 cannot but feel convinced more than ever that the eggs of these pa- 

 rasites are laid in the nests, and not deposited in any other manner. 

 The average width of the entrances of the nests of Acanthiza lineata 

 which have not been visited by a Cuckoo is 1 inch, while those 

 which have contained Cuckoos' eggs vary from 2 to 2k inches. In 

 addition to the nests of Acanthiza pusilla, we have known this 

 Cuckoo (C. cineraceus) deposit its eggs in the nests of ^. reguloides(l) 

 and Chthonicola minima. How great is the difference between the 

 Cuckoo's eggs and those of this last bird {Chthonicola minima)^ 

 which are of a bright reddish chocolate ! 



