QUEENSLAND and NORTHERN TERRITORY 53 



closely related to those of the mainland as to he 

 practically the same species. But a large number 

 of species have never crossed over to the Island 

 State, owing to Bass Strait forming before they 

 commenced emigration. In the present day the 

 "grinder" rarely gets further south than the Great 

 Dividing Range in Victoria. 



Why is it absent from Central Australia, except 

 for odd pairs in favourable seasons, is not so easily 

 explained. 



Locality "b" has the smaller race of '*a," while 

 "c" has the paler race, and "d" the western race 

 of "a." 



It is on first sight much like the common Black 

 and White Fantail or Shepherd's Companion. A 

 distinguishing difference in the plumage shows out 

 in the white of the whole under surface, including 

 the throat. The nest is built in the higher branches 

 of a tree, while the Shepherd's Companion builds 

 in the lower. The eggs are laid in September on to 

 December. 



ROSELLA GROUP OF PARROTS 



This group is a part of the broad-tail section of 

 parrots. Map 18 indicates the distribution of its 

 kind over Australia. There is an eastern, western 

 and northern set of rosellas, all of the same con- 

 struction with different colours in the same colour 

 schemes. They are friendly birds, nesting in the 



