244 



ODOULID^, 



closely resemble the large and almost spotless variety of that of the 

 Yellow-tufted Honey-eater (Ptilotis auricomis); they are, however 

 somewhat more rounded, and of a much lighter tint, being of a 

 pale flesh-colour, sprinkled with a few dots of a deeper' hue, but 

 often without any markings at all. In length they vary from 

 eleven to twelve and a-half lines, being from eight and a-half to 

 nine lines in breadth. 



Eggs taken from the nests of Ptilotis auricomis and P. chrysops 

 measure as follows :— length (A) 0-97 x 0-67 inch ; (B) 0-99 x 

 0-68 inch. 



Hob. Derby, N.W. Australia, Gulf of Carpentaria, Cape York, 

 Bockingham 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.) 



CACOMANTIS FLABELLIFORMIS, Latham. 



(Cuculus cineraceus, Vigors and Horsfield.) 



Fan-tailed Cuckoo. 



Gould, Handhk. Eds. Aust., Vol. i., sp. 379, p. 618. 3M ^_ 



" Among those species, the nests of which are favoured by 

 visits from this ' parasite,' is Acanthiza pusilla, from a nest of 

 which, in September 1863, we took no less than four eggs — two 

 laid by the rightful owner of the nest, the other two by Cuckoos. 

 One of these was a very fine specimen of Chalcites plagosus, the 

 other an egg of the present species, Cacomantis flahelliformis. The 

 entrance of this nest was greatly enlarged, being in width fully 

 two inches ; and the hood, which usually conceals the entrance 

 (which is near the top of the nest, and not generally wider than 

 one inch across), was pushed back to such an extent that the eggs 

 were rendered quite visible. I have now before me ten nests of 

 AcwaihizcB and four of Maluri, the former comprising Acanthiza 



