BY A. J. NORTH, F.L.S. 147 



the place of its near ally, S. hicJienomi, of the eastern coast. Both 

 Mr. E. J. Cairn and the late Mr. T. H. Boyer-Bower obtained a 

 number of specimens of this bird in 1886, at Derby, North-western 

 Australia. For the opportunity of describing the eggs, I am 

 indebted to the Hon. William Macleay, who has lately received 

 them from his collector, Mr. W. W. Froggatt ; they were taken 

 near the head of the Leonard River on October 2nd, 1887. The 

 nest was a flask-shaped structure of dried grasses, similar to those 

 of other members of the family, and was built in a low bush. 

 In this instance the nest contained three fresh eggs, l)ut five is 

 the usual complement ; in colour they are white, of a uniform 

 size, each of them giving exactly the same measurement, viz. : — 

 0'55 inch in length by 0*44 inch in width. These are among 

 the smallest of our Australian birds' eggs. (From the Macleayan 

 Museum Coll.). 



uElurqedus MACUL08US, Ro/msay. 



This bird is a native of the dense scrubs that are to be found in 

 the neighbourhood of Rockingham Bay, and the Johnstone, 

 Rus.sell, and Mulgrave Rivei-s in tropical Queensland. They 

 congregate in small flocks in the palms and tig-trees from which 

 they obtain their food. During a recent excursion to the ]\lt. 

 Bellenden-Kor Ranges, Messrs. E. J. Cairn and Robt. Grant, 

 collecting on behalf of the Trustees of the Australian Museum, 

 succeeded in obtaining, among others, a tine series of these 

 birds in different stages of plumage ; and liesides tinding several 

 nests with young birds, they were fortunate in obtaining, 

 nlthough very late in the; season, a nest containing eggs. The nest 

 and eggs in <iuestiou, which are exhibited here to-nigiit, were found 

 on December 2nd, 1887, in the fork of a sapling about seven feet 

 fronj the ground, on the Ilcrberton roiul at a distance of thirty- 

 two milen from Cairns. The ne.st is a neat bowl shaped structure 

 comiKJsed of long twigs and leaves of a '/'rintania (?), lim-d inside 

 with twigs and the dried wiry stems of a climl)in;; plunt ; on 

 the outside are several nearly perfect leaves of tlie TriHtania (?) 

 worked in, which partially obscure one side of the nest. Exterior 



