74 THE AUSTRAL AVIAN RECORD [Vol. I 



Nest : The eggs were placed on the floating roots of 

 a water-lily, with some rotting vegetation (old leaves, 

 etc.). There was no trace of a nest. The patch of roots 

 measures 10 inches by 10. The eggs were only half an 

 inch above the water-line, and their lower sides were 

 quite wet. 



Eggs : Clutch four, ground-colour brownish-buff, marked 

 all over with lines of blackish-brown, 31 mm. by 21. 

 Jan. 12th, 1912. 



287a. Ardeiralla flavicollis melvillensis, subsp. n. 

 Melville Island Bittern. 



Differs from A. /. disneyi in being lighter above and 

 blue-grey below. 



Type, Melville Island, Northern Territory, No. 11,773. 



Range, Melville Island. 



Nest : Built in a three-pronged fork of a Paper-bark 

 tree, that had fallen into the creek and was still growing. 

 The nest was a platform of Paper-bark twigs, with the 

 centre covered with finer twigs. The eggs were placed 

 in a slight depression. Height from the water, about 

 2 feet. The nest was partly hidden by leafy branches. 

 The platform measured 14 inches by 10 and was 6 inches 

 thick in the centre. 



Eggs : Clutch three ; white ; 42 mm. by 34. Jan. 1st., 

 1912. 



315a. Carbo melanoleucus melvillensis, subsp. n. 

 Northern Little Cormorant. 



Differs from C. m. melanoleucus in having a thicker, 

 heavier bill. 



Type, Melville Island, Northern Territory, No. 11,765. 



Range, North-west Australia, Northern Territory. 



316a. PLOTUS NOViE-HOLLANDIiE DERBYI, Subsp. n. 



Western Darter. 

 Differs from P. n. novce-hollandim in its larger wing- 

 measurement, viz. 364 mm. 



Type, Derby, North-west Australia, No. 780. 

 Range, North-west Australia. 



