THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Eggs. Clutcli, two to four ; “ Buffy-white or whitey-brown, sparingly marked with 
light umber, the remainder of the surface being boldly splashed and spotted with 
purplish-red and purplish-grey, some with obsolete patches of a Ughter tint 
appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell. 
“ Axis 51-55 mm., diameter 37-38.” (North.) 
Breeding-season. April (Belcher) ; May (Carter) ; November (Bennett). 
The type of this species was supposed by Gould to have come from Tasmania, 
but Littler does not mention it in his Handhooh of the birds of that island ; 
so we must accept the mainland as the typical locality. 
As I pointed out in the Nov. Zool., Vol. XVII., p. 497, 1910, we must use 
Gould’s name for this bird, and “ nilotica ” for the European form. 
Mr. Charles Belcher tells me he has' eggs of this species in his collection 
taken on Kilfera, Ivanhoe, New South Wales, in April, 1900. The birds breed- 
ing at that unusual season he attributes to the heavy rainfall after a long 
drought. He records having seen the species in Victoria, on Lake Cooper, on 
February 1st, 1906, but he says it does not occur in the Geelong district. 
Mr. Godfrey sends the following note to Mr. A. J. Campbell* from Hay, 
New South Wales : — 
“ In November there were large numbers of these birds seen every day 
skimming in hawk-like fashion over the salt-bush plains, generally about 
12 or more in company, about 10 or 12 feet above the ground, watching most 
keenly, with head turned down, for insects or small reptiles ; and on dis- 
covering one they darted down and carried it up into the air, then dropped 
it, and caught it while falling. The prey they seemed to be in pursuit 
of — which was found in the stomachs of those shot — consisted of small 
Hzards and centipedes ; one specimen having two hzards, each about three 
inches long, and three very large centipedes, of about the same length, in its 
stomach.” 
Mr. K. H. Bennett sent Mr. A. J. Northf the following : — 
“ On two occasions (1870 and 1872) I have known [this species] to breed 
in the Ivanhoe district. In both instances the sites chosen were similar, 
viz., a sandy bank rising some two or three feet above the surrounding plain, 
and thickly covered with dwarf salt-bush ; these breeding places were about 
forty miles apart, in one case close to a wide sheet of water, and in the other 
quite two miles away from the nearest water. At both places hundreds of 
the birds were breeding, and the eggs, two in number for a sitting, were 
deposited on the bare ground, and so closely together that care was required 
when walking so as not to step upon them.” 
* Viet. Nat, Vol. IV., p. 187, 1888. 
t Austr. Mus. Gat, No. 12, p. 355, 1889. 
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