THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 65 



feet from the ground. It was outwardly composed of twigs and 

 bark, being well covered with cobwebs, and lined inside with 

 grass. It measures — external depth, i^ inches ; internal, |^-inch ; 

 external diameter, 3 inches ; internal, 2 inches. There was only 

 one egg in the nest, although the full clutch is three. It has a dull 

 green ground colour, and is uniformly spotted with small brownish 

 markings, and some appearing beneath the surface of the 

 shell, they being of a dark grey. The egg measures i.i^ x 

 .81 inch. 



(These birds were fairly plentiful, sometimes in pairs, but 

 generally in small flocks. They are shy if their eggs are not well 

 incubated.) 



Malurus cruentatus-boweri, Bower Red-backed Wren. 



These beautiful little birds are found right across the northern 

 portion of Australia, generally in small flocks, except during the 

 nesting season. They are lively and active, seldom remaining 

 still for more than a few seconds, as they search for their insect 

 food among the low-growing thick bushes or on the ground. A 

 nest was found on i6th December built on a vine i foot from 

 the ground. It was dome-shaped, and made of long grass, with a 

 few skeleton leaves intermixed. It measures — external depth, 

 5^ inches; internal, 31^ inches ; external diameter, 2^ inches; 

 internal, i^ inches. There was the full clutch — three eggs — and 

 they were white, with greyish-brown markings, more numerous at 

 the larger end, and forming an irregular zone. They measure 

 —(a) .56 X .43, (b) .57 x .44, (c) .54 x .42 inches. 



Rhipidura tricolor. Black and White Fantail. 



These well-known birds are found all over Australia, but 

 generally in the vicinity of water, and I have frequently noticed 

 their nests built close to that of the Grallina picafa, and both birds 

 sitting on their respective nests at the same time, sometimes 

 within 2 feet of one another. This northern bird was described 

 and named by Gould Sauloprocta picata, Pied Fantail, and the 

 specimens Mr. Olive secured agree with Gould's measurements, 

 but there is no difference in their markings. 



The open cup-shaped nest was found on 20th September by Mr. 

 Olive, built on a fork near the end of a branch of a eucalyptus 

 tree, about 10 feet from the ground. It is outwardly composed 

 of shreds of bark, compactly put together and well covered with 

 cobwebs and lined with fine rootlets and a few grass seed-stalks. 

 It measures— external depth, i^ inches; internal, i inch; 

 external diameter, 2^ inches; internal, 2 inches. It contained 

 three fresh eggs, a full clutch, although occasionally four are laid ; 

 they are smaller than its more southern representative, and 

 have a ground colour of light stone or yellowish brown, with 

 greyish brown markings, which form a broad, irregular zone 



