604 MR. E. P. RAMSAY ON RALLINA TRICOLOR.  [ Nov. 16, 
night may be heard calling to one another as they traverse the dense 
masses of rank vegetation which abound in those districts. I never 
met them out of these scrubs, although thick swampy grass-beds 
close by were frequented by allied species. 
They seem very local in their habits, a pair frequenting the same 
spot for months or perhaps the whole year round, and breeding near 
the same place year after year; the young soon begin to take care 
of themselves, and leave the parents before they are well able to fly. 
I found them some four or five months old in pairs. 
The note resembles a hoarse croak quickly repeated in a somewhat 
mournful tone, and a quick “ cluck cluck ’’ when come upon suddenly. 
I was not fortunate enough to find the nest aud eggs myself; but 
shortly after I left the Herbert river I received a fine set of these eggs 
from Inspector Robert Johnstone, to whom the bird is well known, 
- and who assures me that after finding the nest and eggs he left it 
until he had twice seen the bird sitting thereon, that he might be 
perfectly sure there could be no mistake as to their identity. 
I had informed Mr. Johnstone of my doubts as to the authenticity 
of the eggs mentioned by Mr. Gould, on the authority of Cockerell, 
who, I have been informed, did not actually take them himself, 
the eggs in question having been brought to his companion Mr. J. 
Thorpe by a black fellow. I have before me one of these white and 
so-called Rail’s eggs, which I obtained from Mr. Thorpe on his return 
with Cockerell from Cape York, and can only say that it is remarkably 
like that of a Pigeon (!) in every respect. 
The eggs forwarded by Inspector Johnstone, of the authenticity of 
which I have not the slightest doubt, have a pale cream or whitish 
ground-colour, sprinkled all over, but more thickly at the larger end 
of some, with irregular-shaped spots of light reddish chestnut, and a 
few of a lilac tinge appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell, 
having the characteristic form, markings, and colour of all true 
Rail’s eggs. They are four in number, in length 1-5 to 1°6 inch, in 
breadth 1:07 to 1*l inch. The nest was composed of a few leaves 
and grass, and hidden among thick débris at the root of a tree ina 
dense part of the scrub near Mr. Johnstone’s camp. The young on 
leaving the egg are covered with a sooty-black down, having a dark 
plumbeous tinge on the under surface. 
The young at about five months old have the upper surface of a 
dull dark brown tinged with olive and washed with light rufous brown 
on the back of the neck; the under surface is of a duller and more 
plumbeous brown, with a faint wash of rufous brown on the chest 
and under tail-coverts, which latter have two pale rufous bars on 
each feather ; the under surface of the wings blackish dull brown, a 
band of white spots near the base, and a similar band about the 
middle of the quill-feathers; bill olive-brown; legs greenish olive ; 
iris reddish brown. Total length 7 inches, wing 3°6, tail 1°5, tarsus 
2 inches, bill *9. 
