SPHENOSTOMA. 



341 



intermingled with a few underlying streaks and spots of faint bluish-grey. Length i-o6 X078 

 inches. The other egg is an elongate-oval in form, exceeding in length average specimens of 

 P. crepitans, and is of a pale greenish-white ground colour, with irregular-shaped spots, dashes, 

 and short linear streaks of black distributed over the surface of the shell, some of the dots and 

 spots running in nearly straight lines; in other places they are in small clusters:— Length 1-2 x 

 O'yS inches. 



Young birds resemble the adults, but are destitute of the black throat and white cheek 

 stripe, these parts being ashy-ltrown slightly tinged with yellowisii-olive. 



CH-erLTJLS SI=I3:EISrOS'T'03^..fi>., Gould. 



Sphenostoma cristatum. 



CRESTED WEDGE-BILL. 



Sphenostoma cristalani, Gould, Proo. Zoo). Soc, 1837, p. 1,50; i,/., Bds, Austr., foL, Vol. IV., pi. 17 



(1848); id., Handbk. Bds. Au.str., Vol. I., p. 316 (186.5); Gadow, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., Vol. 



VIIL, p. 74 (1883); Sharps, Hand-]. Bds., Vol. IV., p. 342 (1903). 



Adult male — (reneral colour above brotvn, tinged with fulvous: upper wing-coverts brown, 



darker in the centre, and externally margined nnlh fnl vous-hrown _; primary-coverts dark brown; 



edge of the wing whitish ; quills dark brown, the 

 fourth and fifth primaries externally margined on 

 their outer ivebs with white, except at the tips, the 

 remainder indistinctly edged ivith broicn, and 

 the innermost secondaries conspicnonsly margined 

 with pale brou-n : two central tail feathers broivn, 

 the next pair dark broicn tipped with white, the 

 remainder brownish-black tipped ivith white, the 

 basal portion becoming darker and the tips larger 

 towards the outermost feather ; apical portion of 

 crest feathers dark brown; sides of the head and 

 ear-coverts broivn; all the under surface pale 

 brown, whitish on the chin and centre of the 

 throat, and sHghtly darker brou-n on the sides of 

 the body; tinder tail-coverts broivn with white tips: bill black; legs and feet greyish-black; iris 

 broivn. Total length 7-8 inches, wing US, tail 4, bill 0-55, tarsus 09. 

 Adult fem.ale — Similar in plumage to the male. 



Distribution.— Qne&ns\a.nd, New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, 

 North-western Australia. 



|FN Eastern Australia, the Crested Wedge-bill is strictly an inhabitant of the inland 

 Jl. portions of the continent, but in Western Australia it is also found near the coast. 

 There is a variation in the depth of colour in this species, some e.xamples having that bleached 

 appearance found in birds inhabiting very hot and arid districts, although this is not always the 

 case. The darkest specimen in the Australian Museum collection is an example procured by 

 Mr. George Sharpe at Kanowna, about seventy-five miles to the north-east of Kalgoorlie, 

 Western Australia, and is furthermore distinguished by the under surface having a distinct 

 reddish-buff shade. The wing-measurement of adult males varies from 3-2 to 3-45 inches. 



Mr. G. .\. Keartland writes me: — "Sphenostoma cristatum is found throughout the interior 

 of Central and North-western Australia, wherever scattered scrub or low bushes abound. It is 



Al31 



CRESTED WEDGE-BILL. 



