67.
is one of the finest species of the Australian fauna. Last November I unde

rtook an excursion to the Ric
; ae es: ae a chmond
River district, N. S. Wales, with a ey of obtaining, amongst other items, the eggs of the Regent Bird, |
found the luxuriant scrubs abounding with the birds ; ntiful there as dng Wattle-birds
re as c bir

anksia groves of our southern coast. ; i
about the Banksia g coast no difficulty in procuring our few

almy day and recline under a Canthium tre

S, came to regale themselves on the

bunches of
d by a hardy companion, I prosecuted a vigorous and

and thorny brakes of prodigal growth, where the
underneath, I returned without the
an experience akin to seeking for the proverbial needle in a haystack.
and otherwise it appeared that November was too early for the

in fact they were as ple
We experienced
specimen skins. All that was necessary was to select a b e, wl

, where
the birds, males in various stages of plumage and female
hard yellow berries. Nevertheless, although well aide
toilsome search through dense labyrinths of hot scrub
thick foliage of the trees caused a perpetual twilight eges. It was
From evidence gained by dissection
majority of the birds. However, just prior
a stick, and after much laborious work we succeeded
in tracing her through an entanglement of wild raspberries and stinging trees, and were satisfied that she
was building in a certain bushy Buoyong (Tarvietia) tree, as we saw her return the

time with a twig in her bill. Marking the tree we pointed it out to two young

to leaving on the 19th we detected a female carrying

re several times, each
farmers, directing them to
stating they were unable to climb

scrub-paddock I had scoured, followed up my
instructions, and found therein a Regent Bird’s nest containing a pair of fresh e

send the eggs after us. Some weeks afterwards I received a doleful letter
the tree. However, the next month another farmer, whose
ges, which I now have
pleasure in describing.

“Specimen A. A beautiful well-shaped specimen, with a fine texture of shell of a light yellowish stone
colour, with a faint greenish tinge, and marked with blotches and spots of sienna, but principally with
hair-like markings of the same colour in fanciful shapes and figures, as if a person had painted them on
with a fine brush. Intermingled are a few greyish streaks, dull, as if under the shell’s surface. All the
markings are fairly distributed, but are more abundant around the upper quarter of the egg. The
dimensions are 4 cm. long by a breadth of 2°8 cm., somewhat large compared with the size of the
parent. The markings much resemble those of the ege of its close ally the Spotted Bower-bird
(Chlamydodera maculata), which I found near Wentworth, River Darling, October 1887, with the
difference that the ground-colour of the Regent is more yellowish and not of the greenish shade of the
Bower-bird.

“ Syecimen B. Similar to the other specimen, but markings less pronounced and finer in character, with
a greater proportion of the dull greyish hair-like streaks ; also a little smaller—length 3:95 cm. by breadth
2°75 cm.

“The nest was discovered during the last week in December, was placed about 15 feet from the ground,
and was observed by the bird sitting on it. The structure was of such a loose nature—merely a few twigs
forming a flat shelf about five inches across—that it fell to pieces on removal from the tree. Ms was
accounted remarkable how the eges could retain their position in it, The description of the nest verifies the
statement found in Gould that ‘it is rudely constructed of sticks, no other material being Se aes
even a few roots as a lining,’ but is at variance with Mr. North’s statement, which precedes his description
of the ege taken from the oviduct of a bird by Mr. Cockerell, the collector, the only other egg at present
known.” -

Adult male. Head, neck, and upper mantle of a velvety texture, and of a_ brilliant ea
deepening on the crown into reddish orange; remainder of mantle ant entire back, as well ae Z ,
black ; wing-coverts black, as also the primary-coverts ; first mae primaries black ; ee ° ae
primaries orange-yellow, except along the outer webs and at the tip, encroaching on Me oe
secondaries orange-yellow, tipped with black, excepting the innermost: lores, eyebrow, a Ze an
neck, as well as the entire under surface of the body and under ee black ; under ne
black, the greater series golden yellow, like the lining of the quills : * bill yellows Tees ae ne eo
au rs ‘15. wing 5:1, tail 4°75, tarsus 1:40.

Iris pale yellow” (J. Gould). Total length 9-5 inches, culmen 1:15, wing 01, sa san ae

Aault female. Different from the male. General colour above brown, mottled with

; Ee eat ills plain brown, the latter
the feathers, edged with black; scapulars like the back ; wing-coverts ee

‘oc with an irregular white spot at the tip; upper
dusky brown on the inner webs, the innermost secondaries with an ee f .
: ce yhitish ;_ tail-fea
tail-coverts brown, the longer ones with a mesial streak of whitish 5 i feathers; hinder crown and
: : . : sky tips to the feathers 5
on the inner web; forehead light brown, mottled with minute dusky t]

: sky edees to the feathers ;
; : SeaTac, ttled with dusky edges
occiput black ; sides of head, eyebrow, and nape reddish brown, mo

thers brown, more dusky

hae