Page:The Emu volume 3.djvu/126

 shrubs, and old, bleached grass-stems. The outside is adorned with spider cocoons. The inside is well lined with the feathers of larger birds, and with hair and fur. It was taken from a branch of stunted, woody samphire bush, which is usually found on the margins of salt and brackish lakes, and at about 18 inches from the ground.

Nestling.—The nestlings, although well feathered, showed down feathers on the neck and head. The general colour of the upper surface, including the rump, is olive-brown; the forehead a little lighter, with distinct white edgings to feather tips; the tail feathers protruding from the sheaths, uniform blackish-brown; the sides of the face and throat whitish with darker margins, and producing in the latter the indistinct freckled appearance occuring in the adult; breast and abdomen of a light yellow tint, the former with minute freckles of a darker colour, the latter uniform yellow; iris deep brown; bill grey; legs and feet pale grey. The bill is much more slender than that of A. robustirostris, and more slender and much shorter than A. uropygialis.

(Gould), (Chestnut-rumped Tit).

Nest.—Mr. A. J. Campbell's description of the nest, except in one or two minor instances, agrees with the nest taken by Mr. Lawson at Day Dawn. The latter one is adorned with small downy flower-heads. The entrance to the nest is placed equidistant between top and bottom and between side and side. Over-all length is 13¼ and girth 9½ inches.

Nestling.—The bill of this nestling is very much longer than those of the preceding species. The rump and upper tail coverts are much deeper in colour than in A. robustirostris, and, as already stated, the visible portions of the tail feathers are blackish and the tips burnished with chestnut. Down feathers are still present on the head. The "scaling" of the forehead is very pronounced, and is also apparent under the eyes and on the chin. The throat and chest white, but with minute dark tips to feathers. The breast and abdominal feathers are close, well developed, and white. The sides of the body show a very faint tinge of buff; bill black; iris dark brown; legs and feet greyish-brown.

been kindly asked by Mr. Chas. Crossland to spend a couple of weeks in his survey camp during a recent holiday, the 4th of July last found me at Brookton, a railway siding on the Albany line, about 100 miles south-east of Perth, in company with Mr. Crossland's two sons.