CHEEAMCECA. 33 



The Martins were flying to and from the nests in great numbers, 

 some carrying in grass for the linings, others busily employed in 

 repairing the old, and building new nests with the mud from the 

 river's bank. Many also I found brooding their eggs, and this 

 gave me a good opportunity of procuring some specimens, which 

 I did not fail to seize. There were usually from three to five 

 eggs, but some nests contained seven. Many of the eggs were 

 altogether white, others were -spotted with light brownish-yellow 

 occasionally all over, in other instances only at the larger end. 

 They vary in length from 7 to 8| lines, and from 6 to 6J- lines in 

 breadth." (Ramsay, Ibis 1865, Vol. i., New Series, p. 299.) 



On September 29th, 1886, in company with Mr. Geo. Masters 

 we took a number of the nests of this species at Chatsworth, on 

 the Eastern Creek, the eggs varied both in size, shape, and colour, 

 some being white without markings of any kind, others being 

 elongated and heavily marked with yellowish-brown spots, they 

 measure as follows : — length (A) 0'67 x 0*47 inch ; (B) 0*69 x 

 0-48 inch ; (C) 0-75 x 0-49 inch ; (D) 0-73 x 0-48 inch ; (E) 0-68 

 X 0-47 inch. 



During a visit to Dubbo in August 1887, these birds arrived 

 in great numbers, commencing to build on the 17th, and covering 

 the eaves of the schools, churches, and public buildings with their 

 curiously retort-shaped nests. 



Hah. Port Denison, Wide Bay District, Dawson River, 

 Richmond and Clarence Rivers Districts, New South Wales, 

 Interior, Victoria and South Australia. (jRamsay.) 



Genus CHEEAMCECA, Cahanis. 



OHERAMCECA LEUCOSTERNUM, Gould. 



'Wbite-breaated Swallow. 



Gould, Handhk. Bds. Aust., Vol. i., sp. 57 p. il5 3^ ^-^ 



I extract the following from Mr. K. H. Bennett's MS. notes 

 on the nidification of this bird :- - 

 C 



