THE LYBE-BIED 263 



August, according to the latitude. The nest is a large one, and 

 is placed on the ground at the base of a stump or the buttress 

 of a tree, on the ledge of a projecting rock or in the head of 

 a tree-fern or against the trunk, but usually near the ground, and 

 among the recesses of the deep gullies. On one occasion we found 

 one about 80 feet from the ground in the fork of a tail 

 Eucalyptus tree. The bird hopped from branch to branch in 

 the thick adjacent smaller trees to get to it. The nest 

 proper is dome-shaped with a side entrance, and is 

 constructed of fine strong roots, narrow strips of bark, leaves 

 and ferns, and is lined with the softer feathers of the bird. 

 There is a foundation of coarse sticks, and the nest is protected 

 from the rain-drip by a rough covering composed of sticks and 

 bits of wood, grass, moss and leaves, which projects over the nest 

 proper. Care is always taken to build the nest in a situation 

 in which it avoids the natural drainage, and is protected from 

 the wind, and the home is made as snug as can be, notwith- 

 standing the dark and damp surroundings. The bird enters by 

 the side opening, going in backwards with tail reversed over the 

 back, and there is sufficient room for it to turn round in the 

 nest. Once inside, the bird is entirely hidden from view, and the 

 outside of the nest closely resembles its environment, so that 

 it is not easily detected. One egg is usually laid, (occasionally 

 two) which is about 2.5 inches long and 1.62 inches broad. It 

 is somewhat rough, depressed all over with pin-point like indents, 

 and with, sometimes, little ridges like the veins of a leaf. The 

 colour is dark purplish-grey, with numerous spots of umber or 

 chocolate, others of dark violet, both sets of markings thicker 

 about the top of the egg where they tend to form a belt. The 

 period of incubation is a long one, apparently extending in some 

 cases to seven weeks. 



The habits of the three species are very similar. 



Oedee Passeeifoemes. 



Sui-order Mesomyodi. 

 Intrinsic muscles of the voice organ afBxed at or near the 

 middle of the bronchial semi-rings. 



