FIEZOBBYNCHUS. 91 



Macgillivray, who procured them from one of the neighbouring 

 brushes. Mr. Macgillivray also sent me a skin of one of the 

 parent birds, proving that this rare species is to be found much 

 nearer Sydney than was expected ; for until specimens had been 

 received at the Australian Museum from Mr. Rainbird, who had 

 procured them at Port Denison, Monmroha trivirgata* was looked 

 upon as a bird of the greatest rarity. 



The nest is very similar and similarly situated to that of M. 

 ca/rinata, but differs in being smaller and composed of finer 

 material ; in length it is 3"5 inches, by 2'5 inches diameter at the 

 thickest part, and 1-25 inch deep. In this instance the nest was 

 placed in the upright fork of a small tree, about six feet from the 

 ground, and is composed of very fine fibrous roots, long strings of 

 green moss (^Hypnum; sp.?) shreds of bark, and soft silky down 

 from the seed pods of some native trees. The whole is closely 

 interwoven and made into a neat cup-shaped structure, lined 

 solely with fine black hair-like roots ; the edges and parts of the 

 outside are ornamented with a beautiful Hypnum and white 

 cobwebs. Upon the whole the nest and eggs bear a close 

 resemblance to those of M. carinata f but, unlike all I have ever 

 seen of this latter species, the nest of M. trivirgata is not so entirely 

 enveloped in green moss. The eggs I believe, were only two in 

 number ; they are in length .833 inch by .583 in breadth, having 

 a pure white ground thickly sprinkled with dots of bright reddish- 

 brown crowded upon the thicker end, where they form a blotch 

 approaching more to salmon colour." (Ramsay, Ibis, 1868, New 

 Series, Vol. iv., p. 271.) 



Two eggs of this species in the Australian Museum Collection, 

 taken at Wide Bay, Queensland, are similar to those described 

 above, and measure as follows: — length (A) 0'8 x 0'58 inch; (B) 

 0-78 x 0-58 inch. 



Sab. Cape York, Bockingham Bay, Port Denison, Wide Bay, 

 District, Richmond and Clarence Rivers Districts, New South 

 Wales. (Bamsay.) 



* = M. gouldii, Cf. B. Gray. f = 'M.. melanopsis, Vieillot. 



