Vol. XV 



igi7 



White, Descriptions of New or Rare Eggs-. l6l 



A. J. Campbell, who lately spent a fortnight amongst my speci- 

 mens, put me right. I have the t3'pss of A.'pygmea {vide Emu, 

 vol. xii., p. 167), much shrunken in size, certainly, but agreeing 

 exactly with the Cobborah birds when carefully measured ; the 

 coloration is identical. It may not be out of place to mention 

 here that Cobborah estate is 160 miles in a direct line inland from 

 the nearest point (Newcastle) on the New South Wales coast, 

 and to the west of the Dividing Range. 



The country generally is open forest and high-class grazing, 

 but in the vicinity is a belt of poor scrubby land, and it is in this 

 latter that Mr. Austin finds some very interesting variations in 

 what are usually looked upon as more coastal forms. So marked 

 is the variation that in two cases {Eopsaltria australis austini 

 and Geobasileiis reguloides cobbora) Mr. Mathews makes sub- 

 species. Other species examined by me — viz., Collyriocichla 

 harmonica, Ptilotis fusca, and Hylacola pyrrhopygia — present 

 much paler coloration than the coastal birds, the Hylacola being 

 quite remarkable in its variation. 



Adverting to Acanthiza pygmea again : 



Types. — Three eggs, oval in shape, surface of shell very fine 

 and smooth, being almost devoid of gloss ; under the lens minute 

 pittings can be noticed. Ground colour warm pinkish-white, 

 marked all over, particularly at the larger ends, where well- 

 defined zones or caps are formed, with spots and specks of reddish- 

 brown, light chestnut, and dull purple. 



The eggs very much resemble some of those laid by the Gerygunc 

 family. 



The clutch gives the following dimensions in inches : — (a) 

 .64 X .46, {b) .62 X .46, (c) .63 X .46. 



Collected by Mr. Thos. P. Austin at Cobborah Estate, Cobbora, 

 New South Wales, on 28th October, 1916. 



Nest. — Small, neat, oval-shaped structure, with an opening 

 I inch across on the side near the top. Total length, 3^ inches, 

 by 2^ inches wide at broadest part. Constructed of dried grasses, 

 cobwebs, bark. Eagle-down, and a little green moss and lichen, 

 all neatly interwoven. Lined inside with feathers and a little 

 sheeps' wool. The nest is smaller and not constructed of such 

 quantities of green moss as is often the case with the nests of 

 Acanthiza nana in the coastal districts. This type nest was 

 placed 13 feet from ground, at the extreme end of a long, thin 

 branch of a cypress pine [Callitris robusta), and was reached by 

 building a tripod of saplings. 



Female shot at nest, and skin received with the eggs. 



Another nest taken by Mr. Austin is constructed of dried 

 grasses well matted together with sheeps' wool instead of Eagle- 

 down. Mr. Austin states that during the present season he 

 found three other nests of this bird placed from 50 to 70 feet from 

 ground — one in an Angophora, two in cypress pine {Callitris). 

 One of the nests similar to type, others more roughly made, with 

 less moss but more grass and sheeps' wool in the construction. 



