Page:The Emu volume 9.djvu/281

 coated with pollen that I had to scrape it off with a knife. In the early part of September they were breeding amongst the scrub on the spinifex plain. The favourite nesting site was in the branches of the handsome red-flowered Hakea multilineata, with its oleander-like growth. On the East Murchison this shrub attains a height of 15 or 20 feet, and to reach one or two of these Honey-eaters' nests I had to climb the lower branches. The nests were very substantial. Outwardly they were made of dried spinifex and other grass stems, the cup being wonderfully neat and lined with similar but finer material. In the ten clutches of eggs I found not much variation in type is apparent. One pair was pyriform, and these reminded me irresistibly of miniature eggs of the European Marsh-Sandpiper (Totanus stagnatilis). The latter bird is an accidental visitor to Australia. During the breeding season the female is not much in evidence, but the male careers around in his erratic flight, tossing himself vertically in the air and in his descent uttering his piercing but monotonous and long-drawn cry of "Tē-tǐtēē-tēē-tēē.")

(Stigmatops subocularis).—Rare. A pair or two around Lake Violet and again near Milly Pool. At the latter locality I found a nest with young in a dense growth of vegetation around the foot of a big mulga.

(Ptilotis sonora).—Fairly common, especially on the spinifex plain. I obtained several typical nests with eggs.

(Ptilotis plumula).—A very small colony on the big spinifex plain to west of Bore Well. I was greatly surprised to find them so far north and so far inland. They were extremely local, and I could make nothing out regarding their nesting. I shot several specimens for dissection, and none showed signs of immediate breeding. It is possible they may have bred during the summer rains, or perhaps some time after I left Bore Well. On my return in mid-November I shot a fully-fledged nestling, which was being fed by its parents. This was the only evidence of their breeding I encountered.

(Ptilotis carteri).—I hardly expected to meet with this species so far inland, but I even found a pair or two within a stone's throw of the main street in Wiluna. At Milly Pool it was common, and I found nests containing eggs, and also young. I saw some evidence, in the presence of immature birds with pale brown beaks, of this species having bred during the summer rains. These immature birds were observed near Wiluna in July.

(Myzantha flavigula).—A few around Wiluna, but common near Milly Pool. When I arrived there on 17th September, some pairs had young on the wing; but other pairs were building, and I found a number of nests, eventually securing several fine clutches of eggs. All the nests I observed were fairly high up. They were very substantially made, with a plentiful and very neatly arranged lining of cow-hair, fur, or other soft material. The eggs were three or four in number.

(Acanthogenys rufigularis).—Very common on migration in July and August, but comparatively few remained to breed. I found a very pretty nest on 20th July, with one fresh egg. At Bore Well, the first week in September, I found nests containing young just ready to fly, but at Milly Pool on 24th