158 MOTAOILLID^. 



Family MOTAOILLID^. 



Genus ANTHUS, Bechstein. 



ANTHUS ATJSTRALIS, Vigors and Horafield. 



Gould, Handhk. Bds. Aust., Vol. i., sp. 240, p. 392. 



This bird has been received in collections from all parts of 

 Australia, with the exception of the North-western portions, and 

 it is probable that it may be found there also ; it is such a well 

 known and common species that collectors generally neglect to 

 procure specimens. The nest of this bird is formed in a hollow 

 scraped out in the ground, under some overhanging tuft of 

 grass, or in a furrow, and sometimes amongst low rushes ; it is 

 cup-shaped and entirely formed of dried grasses. Eggs varying in 

 shape from short to long ovals, three in number, seldom four for 

 a sitting, of a dull white ground colour, which is almost obscured 

 with freckles of slaty-brown, umber-brown, and ashy-grey. In 

 some instances I have found eggs of this species of a bufTy-white 

 ground colour with a zone of creamy-brown markings upon the 

 larger end. 



Dimensions of a set in the Australian Museum Collection taken 

 in October 1880 :— length (A) 0-81 x 0-62 inch; (B) 0-85 x 0-63 

 inch ; (C) 0-81 x 0-6 inch. 



A set taken at Macquarie Fields in October 1860 measure : — 

 length (A) 0-86 x 0-65 inch ; (B) 0-9 x 0-65 inch ; (C) 0-9 x 0-63 

 inch. The breeding season of this spiecies commences in September 

 and continues during the three following months. 



Hab. Port Darwin and Port Essington, Gulf of Carpentaria, 

 Cape York, Rockingham Bay, Port Denison, Wide Bay District, 

 Dawson River, Richmond and Clarence Rivers Districts, New 

 South Wales, Interior, Victoria and South Australia, Tasmania, 

 West and South-West Australia. (^Ramsay.) 



