. Nests and eggs of birds found breeding in Australia and Tasmania . feet highat the entrance,and four feet inwidth, of which aglimpse may beseen in the smalldark acute-angledpatch at the junc-tion of the lowerand the middlerocks. This cham-ber extends backfor about fifteenfeet, and has asmall exit in therear; the greaterpart of the flooris covered withwater, and en-tirely so duringsome months ofthe year. Theroof slopes up-wards, and on thesame flake of rockthis pair of birdshave constructedtheir nest for thelast five years. Idid not visit itin the spring of1903, but on goingto photograph thes
. Nests and eggs of birds found breeding in Australia and Tasmania . feet highat the entrance,and four feet inwidth, of which aglimpse may beseen in the smalldark acute-angledpatch at the junc-tion of the lowerand the middlerocks. This cham-ber extends backfor about fifteenfeet, and has asmall exit in therear; the greaterpart of the flooris covered withwater, and en-tirely so duringsome months ofthe year. Theroof slopes up-wards, and on thesame flake of rockthis pair of birdshave constructedtheir nest for thelast five years. Idid not visit itin the spring of1903, but on goingto photograph thespot on the 19thApril, found thenest in the usualplace, which contained portions of shell of Rock Warblers eggs, and abundant proof thatyoung birds had been in the nest. At that time, after a comparatively dry summer, therewas only a small trickling stream in the creek, but usually in September, when these birdsbreed, there is a large and rapid flow of water covering the entire bed of the creek. I heardthe birds in the neighbourhood while engaged in NESTING-HAUNT OF THE ROCK WARULER. 314 TIMF,LIII>/E. In a large number of nests examined, I found that three eggs were invariably laid for asitting, except when a Fan-tailed Cuckoo deposited her egg in the nest when never morethan two eggs of the Rock Warbler were found. The eggs vary from oval to rounded andelongate-oval in form, the shell being close-grained, smooth, and slightly lustrous. Whenfresh they are of a delicate apricot shade, but after being emptied of their contents are purewhite. Several sets taken, especially those which contained an egg of the Fan-tailed Cuckoo,had the thicker ends of the eggs sparingly pepjiered or dusted with almost invisible markingsof pinkish-red. A set of three, taken by Mr. Frank Hislop at Lithgow, on the i8th September,1899, measures as follows:—-Length (.\) o-83 x o-6i inches; (B) oSj x o62 inches; (C) OSj x0-63 inches. Another set of three, taken at Middle Harbour on the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidnestseggsofb, bookyear1901
