204 MELlPHAGIDffl. 



In the nest of this Honey-eater I have several times found the 

 egg of Citaulus inornatus." (Bamsay, Ibis, 1864, Vol. vi., p. 243.) 



Two sets taken at Dobroyde measure as follows : — No. 1, length 

 (A) 0-89 X 0-65 inch ; (B) 0-85 x 0-68 inch ; (C) 0-88 x 0-65 inch. 

 No. 2, length (A) 0-87 x 0-67 inch ; (B) 0-86 x 0-65 inch; (C) 

 0-89 X 0-68 inch. 



In company with Dr. Hurst I obtained several nests of this 

 species on the 6th of August 1887 at Newington, on the Parramatta 

 River, each of which contained young ones. 



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

 and Clarence River Districts, New South Wales, Interior, Victoria 

 and South Australia. (Bamsay.) 



i-3 PTILOTIS ORNATA, Gould. 



G-racefuI Ptilotis. 



Gould, Handbk. Bds. Aust., Vol. i., sp. 314, p. 515. 



This species is found rather plentifully in the Mallee Scrubs, 

 which skirt the edges of the Murray River in Victoria and South 

 Australia. As usual with the genus Ptilotis, the nest is suspended 

 by the rim to the horizontal twigs of a tree, the Mallee gum, 

 (Eucalyptus oleosa) being particularly favoured in this respect. 

 The nest is an open cup-shaped structure, composed of dried 

 grasses, bark fibre &c., neatly woven together with spiders' webs, 

 and lined inside with a little wool, and similar soft substances. 

 The eggs are two or three in number for a sitting, of a pale reddish- 

 buff, becoming a rich salmon colour towards the larger end, where 

 they are minutely freckled and spotted with irregular shaped 

 markings of reddish-brown, but very sparingly distributed over 

 the rest of the surface. There is very little material variation in 

 a number of sets of the eggs of this specie.s taken during October 

 and November at Gunbower on the Murray River ; an average 

 set measures as follows : — length (A) 0-75 inch x 0-54 inch ; (B) 

 0-77 X 0-56 inch. ; (0) 0-74 x 0-54 inch. 



