232 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 



satisfaction over the tit-bit. The nests are placed on horizontal 

 boughs, and consist of small sticks carelessly interwoven into a 

 loose flat structure. Eggs 2, white ; dimensions about 1.75 x 

 1.25. 



Sub-family 2Egothelince. 

 Nostrils near tip of bill ; third and fourth quills longest. 

 Pale nuchal collar. 



Genus jEgotheles. 



Owlet Nightjar. 



^gotheles novm-hollandim. 

 These delicate little birds are found all over Australia and 

 Tasmania. Their head is black; a lunar-shaped mark at the 

 back of the head and a collar surrounding the back of the neck 

 freckled with grey ; back freckled black and white ; wings brown, 

 crossed by numerous bands of lighter brown freckled with dark- 

 brown; tail dark-brown, crossed by numerous broad irregular 

 bands of reddish freckled with dark-brown; chin, abdomen and 

 under tail-coverts white ; breast usually lighter than back, some- 

 times almost white and crossed by numerous freckled bars, the 

 whole bird having a dark-grey freckled appearance, like that 

 of the Podargus. These birds sometimes are of a reddish 

 hue. Total length 9 inches, wing 5, tail 5, tarsus 1. The sexes 

 are alike in plumage. Four white rounded eggs are laid on 

 the decomposed wood in a hollow branch. They are very 

 rough in texture, and have a strong shell, and measure about 

 1.14 x .86 inches. The birds live in hollow branches during 

 the day, issuing only at night, and utter a hissing sound when 

 disturbed. 



Sub-order Coraciece. 



Family Coraciidce. 

 Bill corvine in shape, culmen rounded. Nostrils basal, 

 hidden by bristly feathers. No powder down patches. Oil gland 

 nude. Tail feathers twelve. Old world. Rollers. 



