Vol. X. 



jg„ ] Campbell, Annotations: 330 



Platycercus amathusia (Blue-cheeked Parrakeet). — Amongst 

 the collection of Cape York skins made by Mr. Barnard, and kindly 

 loaned by Mr. White, is a series of this beautiful yellow-headed 

 Parrot. As Gould states, it is nearly allied to the paler-headed 

 P. pallidiceps, but differs in " the greener tone of the colouring 

 of the body and in the rich blue cheeks." However, the blue 

 upon the cheeks is variable in the specimens under notice, there 

 being more or less white on the upper part of the cheek. This 

 variableness is apparently due to age, because in two specimens 

 (c^ and $), evidently immature, the cheeks are almost wholly 

 blue, while there are patches of red feathers upon the head. 



Regarding the fine black-headed P. hrowni (venusttis), recently 

 collected by Mr. G. F. Hill, and mentioned in his notes in the last 

 issue of The Emu, p. 270, Mr. Gregory M. Mathews has created 

 for it a new sub-species — P. venustus hilli* — partly because the 

 white feathers of the cheeks are " reduced to a narrow line, the 

 blue spreading nearly all the way up to the black below the 

 eyes." In some specimens (Hill's) I have examined the extent 

 of the white patch is variable, even on the same bird, one skin 

 showing a larger patch of white on one cheek than on the other ; 

 also, like P. ainalhiisia, P. hrowni has red feathers occasionally 

 on the head. I fear Mr. Mathews' new sub-species is not admissible. 



Descriptions of New Eggs, 



By H. L. White, R.A.O.U., Belltrees, N.S.W. 



{Published in " Bulletin No. 2 " of the R.A.O.U., 21/2/11.) 



Cracticus mentalis (Black-backed Butcher-Bird). — Clutch, 

 two eggs, much incubated, taken at Lockerbie, Cape York, North 

 Queensland, by H. G. Barnard, 1/12/10. Nest composed of 

 sticks and lined with strong grass-roots, placed in the fork of a 

 " bloodwood " (eucalypt) tree growing in hilly, stony country. 



Shape of eggs, round oval ; shell fine, surface glossy. Ground 

 colour greenish-grey, one specimen being of a darker shade ; 

 sparingly marked over the greater portion of the shell with spots 

 of reddish-brown, which, with splashes of light slate, form an 

 irregular ring near the larger end of the egg. Dimensions in 

 inches : — {a) 1.06 x .8, (b) 1.05 x .8. 



Xanthotis filigera (Streak-naped Honey-eater"). — Clutch, two 

 eggs, taken by H. G. Barnard at Lockerbie, Cape York, 18/11/10. 

 Nest composed of strips of bark and fibre, woven together, and 

 lined with fibre ; placed in a mango-tree. 



Shape of eggs, long oval ; shell fine and very glossy. Colour 

 pinkish-white, freckled all over with small spots of bright brownish- 

 red, these spots being thicker towards the larger end, where they 

 are mixed with small splashes of pale purple. 



* Bull. B.O.C., No. clxiv. 



