MATHEWS— Birds of North and North-West Australia. 71 



No. 448— 9 . Length, 15 inches (26/10/86). 

 Similar to male. 



The nest was a small structure about four inches 

 across, placed at the end of a branch of a leaf- 

 less "boa-bab'\ and was composed of a few twigs very roughly 

 put together. One of the adults was on the nest, and so 

 much resembled a piece of wood, that had it not been sitting 

 or rather standing the reverse way to which a fork would gene- 

 rally grow, it would not have been noticed. Its feathers all 

 app^Tired closely drawn in, and the bird seemed to- havt 

 extended itself to its utmost length, with the head and bill ii*. 

 one line with the body. Its mate, probably the male, was on 

 the same tree, and no movement betrayed life in them ; the sit- 

 ting bird slowly turned its head as the tree was approachea, 

 when the cock flew off, and soon afterwards the sitting biru. 

 The two young ones in the nest were covered with a whitn 

 down, but not so thickly as in the case with owls. The N bills 

 were of a bluisn- white colour, and the legs white. One was 

 considerably larger than the other, and made a short hissing 

 noise of a very quiet kind. The nest was fully exposed to the 

 full rays of the mid-day sun. The larger young one flew from 

 tae rest, when next visited, and crawled under some deaa 

 grass, and was iound with difficulty. It made a curious 

 trembling cry for food. They open bill and wings and snap 

 at the intruder, after the manner of owls. They have not the 

 otU motion about the head, but look most like these birds 

 when they place themselves in a defensive attitude, spreading 

 wings and moving the h^ ad about rather snake-like. 



No. 449— $ . (Young). Length, 9.3 inches (27/10/86). 

 Irides, light ochre; the pupil has a bluish slate tinge; bill, 

 light brown, with a slight leaden hue at the tip of the upper 

 mandible. 



No. 451— $ . (Young). Length, 8.5 inches (27/10/86). 

 Similar to the above (perhaps from the same nest). 

 No. 498— ? . Length, 15.1 inches (3/11/86). 

 114. Aegotheles Cristata Rufa, Rufous Owlet Nightjar. 



Aegotheles rufa (Hall). Veit. Nat. Vol. XVIII., p. 89, 1901. 

 Derby, North-West Australia. 



No. 424—?. Length, 9.3 inches (22/10/86). 

 Irides, dariv brown; bill, brown, flesh colour on under man- 

 dible, and cutting edges lighter; legs and feet, flesh colour; 

 toes, brown. 



