[| A MM A — 9 —— 
THE GEELONG NATURALIST. 5 
with blotehes of dark umber and dull purple, some of the markings 
have the appearance of having been laid on with a soft brush. 
imensions in inches of three examples from a full clutch of eight. 
(1) 114 x ‘8; (2) 1:14 x :86; (3) 1:06 x :81. : 
OBSERYATIONS.—It is indeed an extraordinary fact that the three 
'mud-nest building birds of Australia namely the Corcorax, the 
Struthidea and the Grallina should be individually isolated or ano- 
malous forms. The nests, however may be readily distinguished from 
one another, the Corcorax being much the largest, while the 
Struthidea is the finer constructed of the two smaller nests. 
The Grey Struthidea or Jumper, or as itis more frequently called. 
the Apostle-Bird, is associated in family flocks like the Corcorax. 
It is a dweller of the drier tracts of the great interior provinces. I 
saw the birds once only in a state of nature. The locality was the 
Tulla Run Riverina, (N.S.W.) the troop numbered 13, and was 
threading a pine (Callitris) serub, individuals now and again 
uttering a harsh note. 
Gilbert, Gould's able coadjutor, was the first to discover the nest 
and eggs of the Struthidea, 19th Oct., 1844, during Leichardt’s 
exploring expedition from Moreton Bay to Port Essington. 
Again it was reserved for Mr Hermann Lau to prove that more 
than one female Struthidea, like the Corcorax, lays in the same 
nest. He says—‘‘ The Trooper-birds (Struthidea), sombre in their 
garment, and like the Black Magpie (Coreorax), form themselves 
into an assemblage from 8 to 16, trotting about together while 
uttering a squealing note. The little chaps go through at least 
three broods, commencing in Queensland early in September, and 
finishing upin December. Strict observations led to the result that 
the whole company attend solely to one nest, which I proved at 
Warroo, October, 1869, Finding a nest high up on the branch o£ 
2 Casuarina, I told my black climber not to touch it should. it not 
contain at least 5 eggs, and when he called out “ only one," T 
ordered him down, intending to make further Observations. Ac- 
cordingly after 5 days I appeared expecting now 6 eggs, but to my 
surprise the nest contained 8." Clearly then Mr Lau has proved 
in the finding of 7 eggs in a nest, after an interval of 5 days, that 
more than one female Struthidea lays in the same nest, but it has 
yet to be ascertained how many lay out of a troop say of 12 or 18 
birds, and if a female lays more than a single egg. 
` Breeding months, September to December. 
GRALLINA PICATA (Latham.) 
MAGPIE LARK. 
Fıeure.—Gould: Birds of Australia, fol., Vol. II, pl. 54. 
‘Rererence.—C at. Bds., Brit. Mus., Vol. III, p. 272. 
PREVIOUS DESCRIPTION or EGGs— 
Gould: Bds. of Austr. (1848) Hdbk., Vol. I, p. 190 (1865.) 
North: Cat. Nests and Eggs, Austr. Bds., p. 79 (1889.) . 
