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THE BIRDS OF THE COEBORA DISTRICT. 



Nesting place and egg of the Spotted Nightjar (Eurostopus argns). 



Eurostopus argits (Spotted Nightjar). — Until October 28th, 191 5. I had not identified this species 

 as being found in this district. I had just returned from Tasmania, and one of my employees, who 

 had been ringbarking during my absence, told me of a nest he had found containing a single " blue " 

 egg amongst stones. From his description I could not think what species it could be, so thought it 

 best to go out with him and see for myself ; but I firstly asked him if he thought the egg would be 

 now hatched. He informed me that he knew it had not, because he saw it the previous day, and 

 also, a week ago, he put the egg in a pint of cold water from his water-bag first thing in the morning, 

 leaving it there all day, returning it to the nest just before he came home in the evening, and 

 that the bird had gone back to it and was still sitting. When I arrived at the place there was the 

 Spotted Nightjar on the egg, which was just on the point of hatching ; the shell was chipped, and the 

 young bird was chirping. So the incubation of the egg had not been interrupted by being placed 

 in cold water for a day. This shows that the cold has little effect upon these eggs — probably one 

 of Nature's protections to enable the bird to leave its egg at night to feed. There was no nest 

 built, the egg being just simply laid amongst stones, and it was a typical one, not " blue." 



Citculus inornatus (Pallid Cuckoo). — They generally begin to arrive about the end of August, 

 sometimes earlier, but I have never known them to remain here through the winter ; they have 

 all departed before the end of March. There are not a great many of them, or, in fact, any species 

 of Cuckoo, breeding in this district ; but I have found their eggs in nests of the following species : — 

 Brown-headed Honey-eater (Melitheptus brevirostris) , White-plumed-Honev-eater (Ptilotis penicillata), 

 White-eared Honey-eater (Ptilotis leucotis). Regent Honey-eater [Meliphaga phrygia), and Yellow-faced 

 Honey-eater (Ptilotis chrysotis), and I have seen young birds being fed by Noisy Miners (Myzantha 

 garrula) and Rufous-breasted Thickheads (Pachycephala rufiventris). I have taken their eggs from the 

 23rd August up till 17th November. 



