Vol. VI, 

 1907 



1 Campbell, The Family Certhiidce in Australia. 181 



inches. The colouring, also, of each genus is very much the 

 same in all its members — that is, allowing for regional modifica- 

 tions. Perhaps the size and colour systems of Certhiidce are as 

 remarkable as those of any other family that could be named. 

 Similarity of habit and of food supply doubtless decided this, 

 though climate and latitude have played a secondary part. In 

 each of the genera a common ancestor is easily conceivable for 

 all the species. This ancestor (to take the genus Cliniacte^'is 

 first) sent out some of its progeny into somewhat open country, 

 and they became sombre-coloured and brownish {C. scandens), 

 or in the harsher conditions of south-west Australia a redder 

 form {C. rufd) developed. Those that went into the heavier 

 forest became dark and strongly marked. These two primary 

 divisions of the genus are further distinguished by the brown 

 section having reddish-brown eggs, while the other has white 

 eggs sparsely marked. The brown section, too, does not feed 

 entirely upon trees, for either of its species may often be seen 

 hopping over the ground in search of insects. This habit may 

 have its origin in the fact that the sparse, open forests are some- 

 what devoid of boring insects, and the Tree-creepers living 

 therein are obliged to supplement their supply with insects from 

 the ground. The other primary division of Climactcris is still 

 further divided ; its six species are scattered over Australia in 

 varying degrees of denser country, north, south, east, and west. 

 One sub-section, inhabiting the sub-tropical growths of the 

 Northern Territory, might be termed the black section, for its two 

 members ^C. melanonota and C. melanurd) are extremely dark. 

 Then the white-throated sub-section, comprising C. lencopJicea 

 and C. pyrrJionota, inhabits south-east Australia ; while the fourth 

 sub-section, having many affinities with the last-mentioned, 

 includes the bold-striped, slaty-throated species, C. erytJirops and 

 C. supercilwsa, which range from north-west Victoria to south- 

 west Australia. 



The genus Sittella proves even more interesting than 

 Cliinacteris in the subdivision by natural characters. Firstly : 

 three species have the prominent wing-patch, already referred to 

 as the recognition-mark, of a rufous colour ; in three species 

 this is pure white, while in one species {S, tcnuirostris), 

 inhabiting New South Wales and South Australia, it is half 

 white, half rusty. Of the brown-patch section, one species {S. 

 leucocephala), in South Queensland and New South Wales, is 

 white-headed, while 5. chrysoptera and S.pileata, the former of 

 eastern and the latter of eastern and Western Australia, have 

 dark heads, and are distinguished from each other by the latter 

 having a pure white under surface. The white-patch section 

 has a somewhat similar subdivision, containing one species with 

 a white head, 5. albata (North Queensland), the two remaining 

 species, 5. striata (Northern Territory and Queensland) and S. 



