MYIAGRA. 
93 
to pour out its guttural squeaking note, which is always 
accompanied by a tremulous motion of the wings, as if it 
were anxious to be off again. It has another melancholy but 
pleasing note, which, when heard far off in the bush, is never to 
be forgotten, and at once warns you of its return. Although it is 
not so numerous during the months of November and December 
as when it first arrives in September, still many remain and breed 
with us, pairing off and beginning to build sometimes as early as 
October, but more usually during the two following months. They 
then leave the closely wooded sides of the creeks and watercourses, 
and show a decided preference to the more open or half-cleared 
land, choosing as sites for their nests the horizontal boughs of the 
larger trees, upon which they build neat round open nests, two 
inches in diameter by one and a-half deep, and composed of the 
inner stringy bark of the Eucalyptus obliqua, bound and fastened 
together with cobwebs, the outside being ornamented with scales 
of bark glued on with cobwebs, and made to resemble, as much as 
possible, the boughs to which they are fastened. They are lined 
with grass and thinner strips of bark. The eggs, which are two 
or three in number, have the ground colour bluish-white with a 
zone of slate-blue and lilac dots near the larger end. In some 
the markings are of a wood-brown tint, or consist of lilac spots 
alone, with a dot of deeper tint, in the centre of each spot. Their 
length is from eight to eight and a-half lines, and the breadth 
from six to seven lines.” (Ramsay , Ibis, 1865, Vol. i., New 
Series, p. 401.) 
Two sets of the eggs of this species taken at Dobroyde, give the 
following measurements, length (A) 0-73 x 0-57 inch; (B) 0'74 x 
0-55 inch ; (C) 0-74 x 0-56 inch ; (D) 0-74 x 0-55 inch; (E) 0-76 
x 0'57 inch ; (F) 0 - 73 x 0'55 inch. 
Bab. Derby, N.W. Australia, Port Darwin and Port Essington, 
Gulf of Carpentaria, Cape York, Rockingham Bay, Port Denison, 
Wide Bay District, Dawson River, Richmond and Clarence 
Rivers Districts, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, 
Tasmania, South Coast New Guinea. (Ramsay.) 
