THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Eggs. Six to nine eggs form the clutch. A clutch of nine eggs taken at C!oen, Cape York 
Peninsula, North Queensland, on the 31st of March, 1922, is wliite, possessing the 
very faintest trace of a tinge of gi’een. Very rounded ovals in shape. Surface of 
shell fine and smooth, and slightly glossy. 1.5-16 by 11 mm. 
Nest. A bulky and rather flask-shaped structure. Composed of fine dried grasses, twigs, 
and leaves of small plants, etc., lined with fine hair-hke seed tops of fine grass! 
Dimensions over aU : 9 inches long b^’ 7 inches across, and 3 iticbes in depth. 
Entrance: 2i inches wide by 1| inches deep; egg-chamber: inches diameter 
by 2 inches deep from roof to bottom. Nest placed in tall grass or bush, and 
frequently between the spirals of dead leaves of the Pandanus Palm-tree, the ton 
laj’er of leaves often forming the roof of the nest. 
Breeding-months. August to January, and often as late as April or even June. The 
season depends on the rainfall. 
Still another of the “ new species ” Gould discovered in the British Museum 
before he went to Austraha, but he had little to vTite about it on his return, 
stating : “ This species is tolerably abundant on the Liverpool Plains, and 
the open country to the northward towards the interior. It occurs so rarely 
on the sea side of the ranges, that I onty once met with it during my sojourn 
in New South Wales.” 
Sinedley wrote from the Lower Burdekin River, North Queensland: 
Common all over district. Have seen them catchhig and eatmg white ants 
{termites) the winged ones, any time after heavy ram. They seem to enjoy 
a feed of ants.” 
Beniey noted: “ Tins species was only seen once (January 1906) when 
I watched a pair in the river (Fhnders) timber.” 
MacgiUivray has Avritten: “ Were common on the Archer River, where 
Mr. McLennan fomid them nesting in June. On the Watson they were nesting 
freely in April, and were mostly foimd frequentmg the Pandanus flats.” 
In the Queensland Philosophical Society's Transactions there appeared a 
paper by Higgles, wherein he Avrote : ‘‘I have now the pleasure of inf or ming 
you that an undoubtedly new species of Poephila has been sent to our friend 
the Secretary^' of this Society by Mr. Gulhver, from Normanton. The new 
Fmch bears a very near resemblance to om P. cincta, a plentiful species near 
Brisbane. It is a bird about the same size, but differs hi havhig the upper tad- 
coverts broAATiish-black, whereas m P. cincta they are white. The name I 
propose for it will mdicate this peculiarity — P. atropygialis, or black-rumped 
Poephila. The draAvuigs wdll sufficiently show the difference without further 
description.” 
Tlie name was recognised by Castehiau and Ramsay at once for 
Normanton birds, and the species admitted m the “ Tabular List ” in 1888. 
Sharpe in The Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum in 1890 gave a 
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