158 
MOTAOILLID.®. 
Family MOTACILLIDiE. 
Genus ANTHUS, Beclistein. 
ANTHUS AUSTRALIS, Vigors and Horsjield. 
Gould, Handbk. Bds. Aust., Vol. i., sp. 240, p. 392. 
This bird lias been received in collections from all parts of 
Australia, with the exception of the North-western portions, and 
it is probable that it may be found there also ; it is such a well 
known and common species that collectors generally neglect to 
procure specimens. The nest of this bird is formed in a hollow 
scraped out in the ground, under some overhanging tuft of 
grass, or in a furrow, and sometimes amongst low rushes; it is 
cup-shaped and entirely formed of dried grasses. Eggs varying in 
shape from short to long ovals, three in number, seldom four for 
a sitting, of a dull white ground colour, which is almost obscured 
with freckles of slaty-brown, umber-brown, and ashy-grey. In 
some instances I have found eggs of this species of a buffy-white 
ground colour with a zone of creamy-brown markings upon the 
larger end. 
Dimensions of a set in the Australian Museum Collection taken 
in October 1880 length (A) 0-81 x 0-62 inch; (B) 0-85 x 0-63 
inch ; (C) 0*81 x 0'6 inch. 
A set taken at Macquarie Fields in October 1860 measure :— 
length (A) 0*86 x 0'65 inch; (B) 0 - 9 x 0 - G5 inch ; (C) 0'9 x 0-63 
inch. The breeding season of this species commences in September 
and continues during the three following months. 
llab. 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, Interior, Victoria and South Australia, Tasmania, 
West and South-West Australia. (Ramsay.) 
