324 ON THE OOLOGY OF AUSTRALIA, 



they have a beautiful flush of pink ; some specimens are almost 

 without marking of any kind, and like the eggs of most of our 

 Australian birds, vary considerably in form. The usual length is 

 from 9 to 11 lines by 7| to 8 lines in breadth. 



In the nests of this Honey-eater, we occasionally find the eggs 

 of a Cuckoo, (Cuculus inornatus) which closely resemble those 

 of the Honey-eater, they may be distinguished however, by being 

 of a uniform pale flesh-color or of a yellowish-bun , and seldom 

 having spots or markings of any kind. We have one speci- 

 men of this egg, which has a very few dots of deep blackish and 

 reddish brown ; in length they are 11 f lines by 8 \ in breadth. A 

 few days after the young Cuckoo is hatched, it commences to 

 grow very rapidly, and soon fills up the greater part of the 

 nest, unceremoniously treading on its foster brethren, and eagerly 

 swallowing the greater share of the food which the parent-birds 

 bring them, until the unfortunate rightful owners of the nest are 

 either starved to death, or smothered by the weight of its body, 

 and as soon as dead, are thrown out by the parent-birds, which 

 seem to be quite proud of their foster nestling. This species of 

 Cuckoo will sometimes deposit an egg in the nest of other Honey- 

 eaters, as we have found them in those of Melithrept'iis linulatus, 

 Ptilotis chrysops, and P. fusca. And upon one occasion an egg 

 was found in the nest of Zosttrops dorsalis. 



On the 30th January, 1864, I shot a very beautiful variety of 

 the yellow tufted Honey-eater, of a pale yellow color above and 

 below, having the ear-coverts and tufts, front and sides of the 

 head, the throat, outer webs of the tail, and wing-feathers brighter 

 and of a deeper yellow, the shafts of all the feathers white, bill 

 and claws brownish horn color, irides dull slate blue, feet and legs 

 bluish lead color. This was not the only specimen, there were 

 two others about the garden at the same time, but not in company 

 with it. They seemed to be much scouted by the rest of their 

 species, feeding quietly by themselves and not crying out at all. 

 Several times, while I was about to shoot one of these Albinos, a 

 yellow-breasted Robin, (Eopsaltria Australis) perched close beside 

 it, took an inquisitive look in its face, and then, with a harsh 

 squeak flew off again, as if quite disgusted with such a " freak of 

 nature." 



