166 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



Tasmania, kindly supplied the following with the eggs : — " Three 

 eggs in nest, which was deeply hollowed out of the ground 

 under a button-grass tussock, evenly lined with fine grass and 

 most carefully concealed. Had not the bird flown from under 

 my horse ('who nearly put his foot in it') I should certainly not 

 have found this prize." The nest was taken about the beginning 

 of October. These parrots used to be plentiful in the neighbour- 

 hood of Carrum Carrum Swamp, but with the reclamation of 

 that morass, and the present wonderful march of civilisation, 

 the place that knew them then " knows them no more for ever." 

 The only record left of their having been found there is con- 

 tained in a very interesting volume, published many years ago, 

 entitled, "Bush Wanderings of a Naturalist," by an anonymous 

 author. He mentions having observed nests in or under fallen 

 logs. 



468. LoPHOPHAPS FERRUGiNEA — (Rust-coloured Bronzewing). 

 Locality — Interior and South Australia. Egg — Oval, light, 

 cream colour, or of a light stony tinge. Length, i inch ; 

 breadth, 9 lines. 



My old friend and schoolfellow, Mr. Alfred Walker, manager 

 of Innaminka Station, Cooper's Creek, presented me with the 

 eggs of this elegant little pigeon. The nest was a slight 

 depresssion in the ground shaded by a low bush, on a stony rise 

 about ten paces from the edge of the creek. On the opposite 

 bank was one of the depots of the ill-fated explorers, Burke 

 and Wills, and at a point about 6 miles up stream was where 

 Burke perished. The pair of eggs was taken 20th October, 

 1886 



538. Carphibis SPiNicoLLis — (Straw-necked Ibis). Locality 

 — Australia, except west. Egg — Long in shape, white outside 

 and greenish inside. Surface of shell creased in places and 

 minutely pitted all over. Length (i), 2 inches 8 lines ; (2) 2 

 inches 61- lines. Breadth (i), i inch 8|- lines ; (2) i inch 9J 

 h'nes. 



The Straw-necked Ibis breeds in companies, near billabongs 

 and lagoons in the interior. 



622. DiOMEDEA MELANOPHRYS — (Black-eyebrowed Albatross). 

 Locality — Seas surrounding Australia, but seldom seen farther 

 north than lat. 25° S. ^'^o-— Oval, white, a few brown spots 

 towards the broader end. ' Another example has a broad band 

 of smaller and fainter brown dots round the lar:»er end. Length, 

 4 inches 4 lines ; breadth, 2 inches Q lines. (Potts.) 



620. DiOMEDEA CULMINATA — (Culminated Albatross.) Lo- 

 cality — Seas surrounding southern portion of Australia. Egg — 

 "Measures 4fx2f inches. An oval form, smaller at one end. 

 Both ends quite blunt. Colour inclines to light creamy- 



