THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Eggs. Clutch, two to three. Ground-colour pinkish -white, covered with dots and spots 
of reddish-brown, more especially towards the larger end ; 16-17 mm. by 11-12. 
Breeding-season. September to January. 
Macgillivray wrote : “ The Large-billed Flyeater was first observed at Cape 
York, where they find a living all the year round in the mangroves, feeding 
amongst the leaves. They nest in these trees, and the nest is usually placed 
in close proximity to that of a large hornet which builds a comb nest. Nests 
were found from September until March, and to obtain them it is usually 
necessary to row round the coast and up the channels in the mangrove swamps. 
This bird is a common foster-parent of the Cuckoo (G. russata). The nests are 
usually constructed of fine, soft rootlets and lined with feathers. ‘ Crossed a 
small creek in mangroves and found a nest of G. rnagnirostris containing one 
egg of the owner and one of Cuckoo. Had to wade out into the creek a few 
yards to get the nest. When I was putting the eggs into my bag, a crocodile 
a few yards down the creek emitted a roar (McLennan).’ The long, pendent 
nests of the Large-billed Flyeater were common objects all along the Claudie 
River, hanging well over the water. Most of these could be reached from the 
boat, but several were well up out of reach even at high tide. Many were 
built so low that they became submerged when the river rose in flood when 
the wet season set in. Nesting had commenced a month before our arrival, 
and continued till we left at the end of January. A few pairs were noted by 
Mr. McLennan on the Archer River.” 
When Sharpe described Pseudogerygone brunneipectus from the Aru 
Islands, he recorded specimens in the Godman Collection from Cape York. 
Salvadori immediately and correctly observed : “ Forsan specimina Musei 
Godman non in Nova Hollandia, sed in insulis Aru collecta fuerunt.” 
Campbell recorded the species in his Nests and Eggs, and then described 
the nest and eggs, writing : “ This little known bird is found farther down the 
eastern coast than was suspected* its habitat probably extending to the Fitzroy 
(Queensland). Mr. E. M. Cornwall lately found it breeding at Mackay, where 
it appears to be a common species in the vicinity of mangrove swamps, 
and from which locality he has enriched my collection with both nests and 
eggs. He also sent a bird for identification.” 
Previously, receiving a specimen from Cape York, Hartert had recorded 
it questionably as Gerygone conspicillata Gray, writing : “ According to the 
descriptions of Sharpe in Cat. B., v. IV., this specimen is G. conspicillata and 
not G. rnagnirostris. It agrees with specimens from Fergusson Island, which 
I consider to be G. conspicillata .” 
Owing to the scarcity of specimens I cannot decide whether the Australian 
species will be linked up with New Guinea forms, but the type of brunneipectus 
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