204 
MELIPHAGID/E. 
In the nest of this Honey-eater I have several times found the 
egg of Cuculus inornatus.” (Ramsay, Ibis, 1864, Yol. vi., p. 243.) 
Two sets taken at Dobroyde measure as follows :—No. 1, length 
(A) 0-89 x 0-65 inch; (B) 0-85 x 0-68 inch ; (C) 0‘88 x 0-65 inch. 
No. 2, length (A) 0-87 x 0-67 inch ; (B) 0-86 x 0-65 inch; (C) 
0'89 x 0 - 68 inch. 
In company with Dr. Hurst I obtained several nests of this 
species on the 6th of August 1887 at Newington, on the Parramatta 
River, each of which contained young ones. 
Hob. Port Denison, Wide Bay District, Dawson River, Richmond 
and Clarence River Districts, New South Wales, Interior, Victoria 
and South Australia. (Ramsay.) 
PTILOTIS ORNATA, Gould. 
Graceful Ptilotis. 
Gould, Ilandblc. Bds. Aust.,'V ol. i., sp. 314, p. 515. 
This species is found rather plentifully in the Mallee Scrubs, 
which skirt the edges of the Murray River in Victoria and South 
Australia. As usual with the genus Rlilotis, the nest is suspended 
by the rim to the horizontal twigs of a tree, the Mallee gum, 
(Eucalyptus oleosa) being particularly favoured in this respect. 
The nest is an open cup-shaped structure, composed of dried 
grasses, bark fibre &c., neatly woven together with spiders’ webs, 
and lined inside with a little wool, and similar soft substances. 
The eggs are two or three in number for a sitting, of a pale roddish- 
buff, becoming a rich salmon colour towards the larger end, w here 
they are minutely freckled and spotted with irregular shaped 
markings of reddish-brown, but very sparingly distributed over 
the rest of the surface. There is very little material variation in 
a number of sets of the eggs of this species taken during October 
and November at Gunbower on the Murray River; an average 
set measures as follows :—length (A) On 5 inch x 0■ 54 inch ; (B) 
0-77 x 0-56 inch.; (C) 0-74 x 0-54 inch. 
