THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Nest. Cup-shaped. Composed of fine roots, bark and grass, joined together with cobweb, 
fined with very fine roots. Outside dimensions 3J inches bv 2 b deep, inside 2\ 
by li deep. “ 1 4 
Eggs. Clutch, two or three, pale olive to apple-green, more or less covered with brown. 
19 mm. to 22 by 15 to 16. 
Breeding-season. August to December. 
When G. R. Gray examined the Lambert drawings he found the one upon 
which Latham had based his Muscicapa cucullata and referred it to Petroeca 
hicolor (Vigors and Horsfield) with a query. Gould, however, unhesitatingly 
accepted the drawing, being more familiar with Australian birds, and in his 
4 Handbook ” used the Lathamian specific name. 
When Sharpe prepared his Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum , , 
apparently unaware of the valid reason for Gould’s usage he rejected the 
name, arguing that the description was not quite accurate. As usual, the 
authority of the writer of the 4 4 Catalogue ” was followed, and when Sharpe later 
considered the Wat ling drawings, though recognising the picture, he ignored 
the emendation and continued the usage of the later name. I revived the 
Gouldian -Lathamian combination and it is now generally accepted. 
Mr. F. E. Howe has written me from Victoria : “Is fairly well distributed 
throughout the district. They are very local and will breed about the same 
spot year after year. We have never seen more than two eggs in a nest here, 
but in the northern parts of Victoria three is not uncommon. I have never 
noticed the male on the nest, but both feed the young. The young before 
leaving the nest greatly resemble those of Artamus sordidus. They prefer 
the more open timber near cultivations and here too they prefer to nest, 
placing it on a stump or near the foot of a sapling.” 
Mr. L. G. Chandler notes : “At Frankston, Victoria, they are plentiful 
at any time of the year ; a few scattered pairs can be found at Bayswater 
and Croydon. I have noticed them at Melton. In the autumn and winter 
months they can often be seen feeding in small companies ; at such times 
the males spend a lot of time chasing each other in and out through the 
bushes.” 
Mr. J. W. Mellor writes : “Is widely distributed throughout South 
Australia. I noticed it in a peculiar situation in which the surroundings 
were so alike that one could hardly distinguish it, namely, in the burnt bush 
country, where there were blackened stems of the bushes and patches of 
white ashes on the ground, the birds were flying about, picking up insects 
driven out by the fire.” 
Mr. Thos. P. Austin has written from Cobbora, New South Wales : “ This 
fine large Robin is distributed in favourable situations throughout the district, 
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