﻿374 
  Nest 
  and 
  Eyys 
  of 
  Gerygone 
  magnirostris. 
  

  

  in 
  it. 
  Occasionally 
  three 
  eggs 
  are 
  laid 
  for 
  a 
  sitting, 
  but 
  two 
  

   is 
  the 
  usual 
  number. 
  

  

  From 
  Mr. 
  Boyd 
  I 
  have 
  obtained 
  several 
  nests 
  and 
  sets 
  of 
  

   eggs 
  for 
  description, 
  also 
  the 
  female 
  that 
  was 
  captured 
  on 
  

   the 
  nest. 
  The 
  nests 
  of 
  Gerygone 
  magnirostris 
  are 
  long 
  

   pendent 
  structures 
  varying 
  from 
  sixteen 
  to 
  twenty-four 
  

   inches 
  in 
  length, 
  the 
  drooping 
  end 
  of 
  a 
  nearly 
  leafless 
  twig 
  

   being 
  covered 
  with 
  an 
  irregular 
  layer 
  of 
  nest-material 
  

   about 
  24 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter 
  and 
  from 
  9 
  to 
  13 
  inches 
  in 
  

   length 
  before 
  the 
  nest 
  proper 
  is 
  commenced. 
  This 
  is 
  

   of 
  a 
  domed 
  form, 
  with 
  a 
  protecting 
  hood 
  well 
  concealing 
  

   the 
  narrow 
  entrance, 
  and 
  terminating 
  at 
  the 
  lower 
  ex- 
  

   tremity 
  of 
  the 
  dome 
  in 
  a 
  beard 
  or 
  tail 
  which 
  is 
  typical 
  of 
  

   the 
  nests 
  of 
  this 
  genus. 
  They 
  are 
  composed 
  of 
  shreds 
  of 
  

   bark, 
  cocoanut 
  fibre, 
  dried 
  grasses 
  and 
  weeds, 
  skeletons 
  of 
  

   leaves, 
  and 
  the 
  silky 
  covering 
  of 
  spiders' 
  nests, 
  all 
  matted 
  

   together, 
  and 
  resembling 
  more 
  a 
  hanging 
  mass 
  of 
  debris 
  

   left 
  by 
  the 
  floods 
  than 
  a 
  nest. 
  The 
  interior 
  cavities 
  of 
  the 
  

   nests 
  are 
  small 
  and 
  are 
  warmly 
  lined 
  with 
  feathers. 
  A 
  typical 
  

   nest 
  measures 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  — 
  total 
  length 
  22 
  inches 
  ; 
  from 
  the 
  

   top 
  of 
  the 
  covered 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  stem 
  on 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  

   built 
  to 
  the 
  swelling 
  of 
  the 
  dome 
  10 
  inches 
  ; 
  domed 
  portion 
  

   or 
  nest 
  proper, 
  length 
  7 
  inches, 
  breadth 
  5 
  inches 
  ; 
  beard 
  

   or 
  tail 
  underneath 
  dome 
  5 
  inches 
  ; 
  entrance 
  to 
  nest 
  

   1 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter 
  ; 
  interior 
  cavity, 
  height 
  3 
  inches 
  and 
  a 
  

   quarter, 
  breadth 
  2 
  inches 
  and 
  a 
  quarter; 
  base 
  of 
  interior 
  

   portion 
  of 
  protecting 
  hood 
  over 
  entrance, 
  2 
  inches. 
  The 
  

   eggs 
  vary 
  in 
  shape 
  from 
  oval 
  to 
  elongate-oval, 
  and 
  are 
  of 
  

   a 
  rich 
  pinkish 
  white, 
  which 
  is 
  almost 
  obscured 
  by 
  exceedingly 
  

   minute 
  freckles 
  and 
  dots 
  of 
  pinkish 
  red, 
  becoming 
  thicker 
  

   towards 
  the 
  larger 
  end, 
  where, 
  in 
  some 
  instances 
  inter- 
  

   mingled 
  with 
  a 
  few 
  spots 
  of 
  dull 
  purplish 
  grey, 
  an 
  indistinct 
  

   zone 
  is 
  formed. 
  Others 
  have 
  their 
  markings 
  equally 
  distri- 
  

   buted 
  over 
  the 
  shell, 
  with 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  fine 
  hair-lines 
  or 
  small 
  

   coalesced 
  patches 
  on 
  the 
  larger 
  end. 
  The 
  set 
  of 
  two 
  on 
  

   which 
  the 
  female 
  was 
  captured 
  measure 
  alike 
  0-7 
  x 
  0*46 
  

   inch; 
  a 
  set 
  of 
  three 
  taken 
  on 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  January, 
  1892, 
  

   (A) 
  0-69 
  X 
  0-5 
  inch, 
  (B) 
  0-G7 
  x 
  0-47 
  inch, 
  (C) 
  0-67 
  x 
  0*49 
  

  

  