l68 Waitk, Finding of Nest and Eggs of the Desert Chat, [..(^"j"^ 



The following incident happened on 14th October, on which 

 date we had been two days without water ; in consequence 

 thereof we sent out scouts to a mile on each side of the camel 

 train in the hope of finding some soakage or wet clay-pan. 

 During one of my " watches," and when about 12 miles east of 

 Mungeranie, 1 flushed a Desert Chat. The little bird did the 

 " broken wing" trick very well indeed, and fluttered away, while 

 I remained stationary. As soon as the bird was sufficiently 

 distant I shot it with the .410, feeling that if I could find the 

 nest it would be well to place the identity of the species [Ashhyia 

 lovensis, Ashby) beyond dispute. 



I found the nest within a yard and a half of my feet, concealed 

 in a clump of salt-bush ; it contained two eggs, and a third was 

 lying a few inches away, having evidently been ejected by the 

 bird in its hurried departure. This was the more remarkable as 

 the nest was particularly deep. It was built in a hole in the small 

 gibber, and when removed the hollow looked as if it had been 

 artificially excavated, though it is not conceivable that the bird 

 had removed the stones and sand. The hole would contain an 

 average teacup, and the nest was built with a rim which extended 

 beyond the hole for some distance all round. The groundwork 

 of the nest consists of small twigs overlaid with fine roots inter- 

 spersed with flower-heads to form a lining, and the fine roots were 

 used to form the rim above mentioned. 



The eggs are pale yellow in colour, with chestnut-brown 

 blotches disposed around the larger end. In two of the speci- 

 mens minute brown dots occur on other portions also. Before 

 blowing the ground colour was pale pink, as with most small 

 white or nearly white eggs. The eggs are larger and more pointed 

 than in any species of Ephthianitra, with which genus the bird was 

 first associated, and measure 10.93 x 10.46, 10.97 ^ 10.47, ^^'^^^ 

 10.94 X 10.45 mm. respectively. 



The accompanying photograph was taken of the nest and eggs 

 in sitii, but, owing to the searching fine sand having interfered 

 with the working of the shutter, the result is not so sharp as I 

 could have wished. 



It will be realized that under the circumstances above 

 mentioned we could not afford much time on the ground for 

 making observations, but I signalled to Capt. White, who was 

 about a quarter of a mile distant, so that he, as ornithologist to 

 the expedition, might have the opportunity of seeing the nest 

 and eggs (previously unknown) in an undisturbed state. 



Record of a New Tree-creeper for South Australia. 



By S. a. White, M.B.O.U. 

 Climacteris waitei, sp. nov. Cooper's Creek Tree-creeper. 



Head and forehead dark grey, feathers of the latter showing 

 narrow dark lines down the centres ; back of the neck grey ; back 



