Vol. XIV. 



191S 



] White, Description of New Australian Birds' Eggs. 157 



Descriptions of New Australian Birds^ Eggs. 



By H. L. White, R.A.O.U. (Scone, N.S.W.) 



AsTUR (?) {Urospiza fasciata didima, Mathews), Northern Goshawk. 



Nest a large structure of sticks and small branches, lined with 

 leaves, placed high up in a swamp gum {Eucalyptus) tree. 



Eggs three, roundish-oval in shape ; texture of shell coarse, 

 without gloss ; colour chalky bluish- white (green inside). One 

 specimen (a) is sparingly marked all over with large reddish- 

 purple blotches ; a second (&) has a few irregular-shaped markings, 

 including short hues, of the same colour ; while the third (c) 

 specimen has no markings. Measurements : — {a) 1.67 x 1.38, 

 {h) 1.6 X 1.42, (c) 1.55 X 1.33. 



Taken by H. G. Barnard, 28/10/13, near Borroloola, Macarthur 

 River, Northern Territory. Parent birds identified by Mr. G. M. 

 Mathews. 



A second clutch, taken in the same locality by the same 

 collector, is more uniform in colour (one specimen only being 

 marked with a few short lines) and larger, measurements being 

 —{a) 1.78 X 1.45, {h) 1.81 X 1.37, (c) 1.75 X 1.44. 



Amytornis WHITE! {Mytisa striata whitei), Mathews. 



Securing a clutch of Amytornis eggs is always a very welcome 

 event in the life of an Australian oologist. I have been particularly 

 forunate in this respect, and now possess a very fair series of 

 these rare eggs. My latest addition is a clutch of the above- 

 named species from NuUagine, Pilbarra goldfield. Western 

 Australia, taken by Mr. F. Lawson Whitlock. 



The nest was cup-shaped, composed of dead spinifex leaves, 

 and lined with kangaroo fur, the walls of the nest being thin and 

 much interwoven with growing spinifex. Inside measurements, 

 2^ inches wide by i^ inches deep. Situation, a natural cavity 

 in a clump of spinifex growing on the side of a small gully. Size 

 of clump, 3 feet in diameter by 30 inches in height. 



Eggs, two, stout oval in shape, shell smooth and without gloss ; 

 colour white, marked all over, but particularly at the larger end, 

 with small irregular-shaped brownish-red dots and splashes. 

 Measurements — {a) .87 x .64. (b) .84 x .64. 

 Malurus dulcis {Leggeornis amahilis dulcis). 



In The Emu * I described a clutch of three eggs said to be those 

 of the above species. I now wish to alter the identification, verified 

 by Mr. G. M. Mathews, to that of Leggeornis amabilis rogersi. 

 The skins and eggs referred to were taken by Mr. G. F. Hill in 

 North- West Austraha. Skins (again identified by Mr. Mathews) 

 and eggs of the true Leggeornis amahilis dulcis have now been 

 received from Mr. H. G. Barnard, descriptions of the nest and 

 eggs being as follow : — 



Nest, a small dome-shaped structure composed of soft dead 



* Emu, vol. X., p. 133. 



