70 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



camp picking up waste cotton, feathers, &c., to make their nests 

 of; one little bird used to steal my oakum every day from under- 

 neath the shed to build its nest of; it had not finished when I 

 left. They prefer building about the camp, in the sheds, and 

 once on the ridge poles of my tent. On one occasion the 

 female started to lay while the male put the finishing touches to 

 the nest.) 



EuRYSTOMUS AUSTRALis, Roller or Dollar-bird. 



These curious birds are plentiful over the northern portion of 

 Australia. They are very noisy, and when anyone is near their 

 nest they dodge in and out of other hollows, apparently to mis- 

 lead the intruder. Their nest was found on 20th October, 

 situated i foot down a hollow branch of a eucalyptus tree, 

 about 30 feet from the ground. The eggs were four in number, 

 pure white and slightly glossy, and oval in form. They measure 

 —{a) 1.30 X 1. 13, (&) 1.28 X 1. 12, (c) 1.37 X 1.9, (d) r.36 X 1. 13 

 inch. 



(Generally fly away from the nest, but are very pugnacious 

 while being robbed, and others come and join in. On rainy 

 mornings they were generally to be seen in flocks, but at other 

 times singly or in pairs. They prefer building near watercourses, 

 and are plentiful.) 



Merops ornatus. Bee-eater. 



These beautiful birds are found all over Australia, some 

 coming south in the spring of the year to nest, and are very 

 plentiful. They are fond of sitting on some dead bough or post 

 and darting at their insect prey as it flies past. They nest in the 

 ground. Several were noticed by Mr. Olive, and he found that 

 they made their burrow at an angle of i}^ feet in the 4 feet (the 

 general length of the hole), which was 5 inches in diameter and 

 4 inches in depth. That found on 3rd November had 5 eggs 

 in — the full clutch. They are white, slightly glossy, and rounded 

 in form, and measure — (a) .78 x .65, (6) .76 x .64, (c) .74 x .66, 

 (d) .73 X .68, (e) .74 X .68 inch. 



(Make the burrows for their nests in sandy country. The 

 young do not all hatch at one time, as occasionally one young 

 one is almost ready to fly when the last is being hatched. They 

 never come near when their nest is being disturbed. They travel 

 in flocks or pairs, and are plentiful.) 



Halcyon pyrrhopygius, Red-backed Kingfisher. 



These birds are found all through Northern Australia, and are 

 fairly plentiful in places. One of their nests was found on 2nd 

 November. They burrow a hole about 1 1 inches in depth, which 

 is 6 inches in diameter by 4 inches in depth. The eggs are white 

 and rounded in form, slightly glossy, and measure — (a) .98 x .8^, 

 (b) .98 X 84, (c) I X .83 inch. 



