CURIOUS NESTING-SITE OF ANT1TUR AUSTRALIS — NORTH. 1 5 
where it was obtained by the members of “The Horn Scientific 
Expedition.” Why this small flock should have wandered so far 
south-east instead of pursuing the usual course of migration to the 
north-west it is difficult to conjecture, unless the birds followed in 
the track of an abundant rainfall so common to Central Australia, 
with its rapidly accompanying growth and profusion of rich 
grasses, thereby causing a plentiful food supply. There is no doubt 
whatever that reaching the western border of New South Wales 
the excessively dry season now being experienced there has 
driven this small nomadic lloclc from the withering and burnt-up 
grass lands to the cooler districts near t he coast. This is only a 
repetit ion of the effects of last year’s drought when many birds 
whoso habitat is the dry inland districts of the Colony, wero 
obtained near Sydney, among which may be mentioned Falco 
hi/polr.ucos , a typical Central Australian species. 
Roughly estimated, the nearest recorded locality in Central 
Australia in which Emblema picta has been obtained, is 1,1300 
miles in a direct lino from Campbell town, in New South Wales, 
where the present specimens were procured, 
II.— On a CURIOUS NESTING-SITE op ANT HUS 
A USTRA LIS. 
(Plato iv.) 
The Trustees of the Australian Museum are indebted to Mr. 
A. M. N. Rose, for a nest of the Australian Pipit or common 
“Ground Earle,” Anthus aualralin , placed in a very curious 
position. It is built inside an old rusty preserve tin, measuring 
four inches and a, half in length by three inches and a half in 
diameter, The entrance to the nest is narrowed to two inches, 
by a small platform of dried grasses which protrudes out of the 
mout h of the tin. This nest was found on the 24th of November, 
1896, by Mr. A. Payten at Campbelltown in the same paddock 
as he shot the specimens of Emblema picta, and contained two 
slightly incubated eggs. The tin, which has the lid still attached, 
but bent at a right angle, was lying exposed on the ground, 
without shelter or concealment of any kind, beyond a few short 
blades of dried grass. The eggs are of the usual type, a greyish- 
white ground colour thickly freckled all over with pale brown 
markings; length (A) 0*8 x 0T»7 inch ; (13) 0-84 x 0*07 inch. 
As will be seen on reference to the accompanying plate, it is a 
curious site for a bird to select which builds an open cup-shaped 
nest concealed only by an overhanging tuft of grass, or the 
surrounding herbage. 
