318 ON THE OOLOGY OF AUSTEALIA, 



running in various directions, both across and round the surface ; 

 these lines are of a dark purplish brown. The colouring matter 

 has the peculiarity of being easily rubbed off. 



Mr. Gould remarks : " The markings of the eggs may be 

 more easily imagined, by supposing a hair or hairs to have been 

 carelessly drawn over them after having been dipped in ink." 



POMATORHINUS SUPERCILIOSUS. 



The White-eyebrowed PomatorMnus. (Gould, B. Austr., 



Vol. IV., pi. 22.) 



PL L, Fig. 2. 



All that I have said with respect to the habits and actions of 

 the former species, may equally well be applied to this. It is 

 not, however, such a noisy species, nor found in such large 

 troops. The nest is similar to that of P. temper alis, but smaller ; 

 and has the entrance more completely covered by a thatch of 

 twigs. The eggs are three or five in number ; their usual length 

 is 10| or 11 lines, by 7J to 8 lines in breadth ; some are rounded 

 in form, others more elongated. The ground color is of a brown- 

 ish gray tinged with olive, clouded with purplish brown and 

 greyish olive, and sparingly veined with dark bistre. Some 

 specimens are of a uniform dull greyish olive brown, clouded 

 with a deeper hue, and without veins, and have a clouded band 

 round the centre. Like the foregoing species, this is frequently 

 found upon the ground, hopping about with the greatest agility 

 under the trees, especially during the early part of the day ; when 

 flushed they fly off to the nearest tree, and commence to ascend 

 it by a series of hops and jumps until they reach the end of the 

 boughs, from which they fly off in a string. They are very 

 sprightly and quick in their movements, and have the peculiarity 

 of drawing their heads in and puffing out their feathers as they 

 ascend the branches, looking like a number of brown balls bounc- 

 ing among the limbs. 



This species has a wide range of habitat, being found equally 

 common on the Darling, Lachlan, Bell, and Murray Rivers, as 

 well as over the whole southern portion of the country, and 



