. The Australian zoologist. Zoology; Zoology; Zoology. lift THE BIRDS OF THE COEBORA Nesting place and egg of the Spotted Nightjar (Eurostopus argns). Eurostopus argits (Spotted Nightjar).—Until October 28th, 191 5. I had not identified this species as being found in this district. I had just returned from Tasmania, and one of my employees, who had been ringbarking during my absence, told me of a nest he had found containing a single " blue " egg amongst stones. From his description I could not think what species it could be, so thought it best to go out with him and see f
. The Australian zoologist. Zoology; Zoology; Zoology. lift THE BIRDS OF THE COEBORA Nesting place and egg of the Spotted Nightjar (Eurostopus argns). Eurostopus argits (Spotted Nightjar).—Until October 28th, 191 5. I had not identified this species as being found in this district. I had just returned from Tasmania, and one of my employees, who had been ringbarking during my absence, told me of a nest he had found containing a single " blue " egg amongst stones. From his description I could not think what species it could be, so thought it best to go out with him and see for myself ; but I firstly asked him if he thought the egg would be now hatched. He informed me that he knew it had not, because he saw it the previous day, and also, a week ago, he put the egg in a pint of cold water from his water-bag first thing in the morning, leaving it there all day, returning it to the nest just before he came home in the evening, and that the bird had gone back to it and was still sitting. When I arrived at the place there was the Spotted Nightjar on the egg, which was just on the point of hatching ; the shell was chipped, and the young bird was chirping. So the incubation of the egg had not been interrupted by being placed in cold water for a day. This shows that the cold has little effect upon these eggs—probably one of Nature's protections to enable the bird to leave its egg at night to feed. There was no nest built, the egg being just simply laid amongst stones, and it was a typical one, not " ; Citculus inornatus (Pallid Cuckoo).—They generally begin to arrive about the end of August, sometimes earlier, but I have never known them to remain here through the winter ; they have all departed before the end of March. There are not a great many of them, or, in fact, any species of Cuckoo, breeding in this district; but I have found their eggs in nests of the following species :— Brown-headed Honey-eater (Melitheptus brevirostris),
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1914
