SYNOICUS ^EXCALPATORU. 291 



September and the four following months constitute the 

 ordinary breeding season of this species. 



Hah. Tasmania. 



SYNOICUS CERVINUS, Gould. 

 Northern S-wamp-Quail. 

 Gould, Handbk. Bds. Aust , Vol. i., sp. 490, p. 195. 



This bird is confined to the northern portions of Australia, the 

 Islands of Torres Straits, and the South Coast of New Guinea. 

 It lays, its eggs on the ground in a slightly constructed nest of 

 dried grasses. In the Dobroyde Collection are five eggs of this 

 species taken in 1873, they are of a creamy-white ground colour, 

 minutely dotted with brown ; like all the eggs of the genus 

 Synoicus, the shell is very thick and strong. Length (A) 1 -2 x 

 0-91 inch ; (B) 1-19 x 0'93 inch ; (C) M9 x 0-94 inch ; (D) 1-2 x 

 0-93 inch ; (E) 1-18 x 0-91 inch. 



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

 Cape York, South Coast New Guinea, f Ramsay.) 



Genus EXCALFATOEIA, Bonaparte. 



EXCALF.\TORIA AUSTRALIS, Gould. 

 Least S-wamp-Quail. 

 Gould, Ilandbk. Bds. Aust., Vol. ii., sp. 491, p. 197. 



"The Little Swamp-Quail is found tolerajbly abundant in the 

 marshy parts about Botany Bay and South-head, in which 

 situations it breeds freely, rearing often three broods in the 

 year. It usually lays five eggs, in shape resembling those of 

 Synoicus australis. Lath., but much smaller in size, being I'l inch 

 in length by 0-8 in breadth, and when fresh of a pale light green 

 colour, dotted all over with blackish-umber ; in some the.ground 



