12 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



a pale greenish-white ground colour, with irregular-shaped spots, 

 dashes, and short linear streaks of black distributed over the 

 surface of the shell, some of the spots and dots running in nearly 

 straight lines; in other places they are in small clusters. This 

 specimen has also similar underlying markings. Length, 

 1.2 X 0.78 inch. 



MuNiA PECTORALis, Gould (White-breasted Finch). 



This species was met with and specimens obtained by Mr. 

 Keartland while he remained in charge of the Calvert Exploring 

 Expedition camp near the junction of the Fitzroy and Margaret 

 rivers, in North-west Australia. In his field notes Mr. Keartland 

 makes the following remarks*: — "This Finch was only seen 

 between the Telegraph Station and the Margaret River. It 

 proved very shy, and although disturbed whilst feeding amongst 

 the long grass, or seen flying from tree to tree, only two or three 

 were shot." A nest of this species which he found at the latter 

 end of February, 1897, was a flask-shaped structure, outwardly 

 formed of very coarse grass stalks, and neatly lined inside with 

 the finest "silver-grass." It contained four eggs, and was built 

 in a shrub, about ten feet from the ground. The eggs are 

 elongate-oval in form, white, with a faint blue tinge ; the surface 

 of the shell, although smooth, is dull and lustreless. Length — 

 (a) 0.65 X 0.43 inch, (b) 0.64 x 0.42 inch, (c) 0.64 x 0.42 inch, 

 {d) 0.62 x 0.43 inch. 



Trichoglossus rubritorquis, Vig. and Horsf (Red-collared 

 Lorikeet). 

 Mr. Keartland in his field notes made during the journey of the 

 Calvert Exploring Expedition in North-west Australia writes! : — 

 " On approaching Derby several pairs Of these birds crossed our 

 line of march, but I was unable to secure specimens. However, the 

 fact that they breed in that neighbourhood was established by Dr. 

 House, Government Resident, who showed me a beautiful pair of 

 young birds in captivity which had been taken from a nest in the 

 vicinity by a native." Recently Mr. Keartland has received two 

 eggs of this species, accompanied with a skin of the female 

 procured at the same time. They were taken by Mr. E. J. 

 Harris from the hollow limb of a eucalypt about twenty miles 

 south-east of Derby, in May, 1898. The eggs are rounded ovals in 

 form, white but very much nest-stained, like most eggs found of 

 its eastern congener, T. novce-hollandiae, the texture of the shell 

 being very fine, but its surface is dull and lustreless. Length — (a) 

 I.I X 0.9 inch ; (6) 1.08 x 0.91 inch. 



Melithreptus l/etior, Gould (Yellow-backed Honey-eater). 

 This beautiful honey-eater, of which Mr. Keartland was 



* Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A. 1898, p. 143. +Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A. 1898, p. 169. 



