458 



They were found nesting in numbers. The nest is seldom 

 placed far from the ground — as a rule, not more than 18 

 inches or 2 feet, and very often in the centre of a low bush, 

 with the bottom of the nest resting on the ground. The usual 

 clutch of eggs seems to be three, but four are often seen. 



Total length. Expanse of wings. 



September 12 J 120 mm. 202 mm. 



September 13 tf 120 mm. 202 mm. 



September 26 g 115 mm. 199 mm. 



October 19 ... tf 117 mm. 202 mm. 



Ashbyia lovensis, Ashby (Desert Chat). 



This bird seems to have been breeding over the whole of 

 the tableland country between Farina and Innamincka, and 

 to the north of Hergott Springs. This gives the species a 

 much more extended range, for I met with it in 1914 (vide 

 Proc. Roy. Soc. S. Austr., vol. xxxix., 1915). Several 

 fully-fledged young were taken, and the parent birds did 

 their best to draw the attention of the collector by feigning 

 being disabled with broken wing, etc. The nest and eggs of 

 this bird were discovered on the expedition's return journey, 

 and have been described ("Emu," vol. xvi., pp. 165-7). 

 The Desert Chat is a stony-desert bird, and not once have I 

 met with it on any other class of country, and to call them 

 bush chats is a misnomer, for they do not inhabit a country 

 which produces bush, but are only found on the gibber or stony 

 tablelands. Their backs have a ruddy-brown tinge, which 

 harmonizes so well with gibbers that it is difficult to pick the 

 birds out without they move, or turn their yellow breasts 

 towards you. They will run along for a few yards, pause, and 

 maybe hop on to a stone, bobbing their tails up and down 

 after the manner of a pipit. The young take on the bright 

 yellow upon the breast from the nest, but the head and back 

 have a much more ruddy colouration. This is more likely to 

 protect them during their youthful state from birds of prey 

 flying overhead. They seldom utter a sound. When they 

 take to the wing they fly rapidly, straight, and to some 

 distance, then run rapidly on amongst the stones. Upon one 

 occasion, when parent birds were trying their best to draw 

 my attention away from their young, they uttered a plaintive 

 little call as if in distress. 



Total length. Expanse of wings. 



September 17 (J) 80 mm. 236 mm. 



September 17 ^ 130 mm. 240 mm. 



October 16 ... ^ 127 mm. 233 mm. 



October 16 ... O 136 mm. 242 mm. 



October 19 ... ; (imm.) 140 mm. 200 mm. 



