THE CATEKPILLAE-BATEB 291 



marked with black and white in various ways. They all form 

 shallow nests of fine short dead twigs curiously joined together 

 with cobwebs and lichen, and place them in forks of horizontal 

 branches. The clutch of two or three eggs of a green ground 

 colour with spots of umber, about 1.2 x .9 inches. They feed 

 mainly on insects. Five species are known from Australia. 



The Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike, G. robusta (melanops). — Australia, New 

 Guinea, through the Moluccas to Celebes. Has the forehead, ear- 

 coverts, sides of face and neck, and throat black; and the tip of the 

 tail, the lower abdomen, and under tail and wing-coverts white. 

 Length 12.5 inches. Culmen 1.05. 



The Small-billed Cuckoo-Shrike, G. parvirostris, resembles the preceding 

 and is probably a sub-species. The bill is shorter, culmen .85 inch. 

 It represents 6. robusta in Tasmania. 



The White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrike, G. hypoleuca. — North Australia and 

 Queensland, New Guinea, Aru, Solomons. Has a narrow black band 

 from the gape to the eye, and the cheeks, throat, lower breast, 

 abdomen, flanks, under tail and wing-eoverts white. Length 9.5 

 inches, culmen .95. 



The Little Cuckoo-Shrike, G. mentalis. — Australia, except West and Centre. 

 Has a broader black band from the gape reaching to beyond the eye; 

 and the lower abdomen, and under tail and wing-eoverts white. 

 Length 10.2 inches, culmen .85. 



The Barred Cuckoo-Shrike, G. lineata. — Eastern Australia. Has a narrow 

 black line in front of the eye, and the lower breast and abdomen, and 

 the under wing-coverts barred with black and white. Length 9.5 

 inches, culmen .75. 



The Caterpillar-eater. 



Edoliisoma tenuirostre. 



Eastern Australia, New Guinea, Aru. 



The sexes are distinct in colouring, and the male is rather the larger. 

 Male: Sides of face black; general colour of upper and lower surface 

 dark slaty-grey. Female: Sides of face grey; general colour of upper 

 surface ashy-brown; of the under-surface creamy-buff, with narrow 

 waved arrow heads of blackish. Length of male 10 inches, culmen .95' 

 of female 9.5 inches, culmen .9. 



A shy and retiring bird, dwelling among the tree-tops near 

 swamps. Has a harsh grating note. Feeds on insects, especially 

 coleoptera. The nest is a small and shallow structure composed 

 of wiry grasses securely fastened together with cobwebs. The 

 €gg (only one has so far been found in a nest) pale bluish-grey, 



