612 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Sp. 376 SITTELLA PILEATA, Gould. 



Black-capped Sittella. 



Sittellu jMeata, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc.^ part v. p. 151, male. 

 melanocephala, Gould in Ibid., p. 152, female. 



Goo-mal-de-dite, Aborigines of Western Australia. 



Sittella pileata, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. iv. pi. 104. 



This species of Sittella enjoys a range extending over 

 several degrees of longitude. I killed several examples during 

 my excursion into the interior of South Australia, and I tran- 

 scribe from my journal the following notes on the subject : — 

 " I met with a flock of these birds on the hills near the source 

 of the River Torrens, about forty miles northward of Adelaide : 

 they were about thirty in number and were, extremely shy, 

 keeping on the topmost branches of the trees, and the whole 

 company flying from tree to tree so quickly, that I and my 

 companion were kept at a full run to get shots at them." 



The following is from Gilbert's notes made in Western 

 Australia : — 



" An extremely active bird, running up and down the 

 trunks and branches of the trees with the utmost rapidity, 

 always in families of from ten to twenty in number. It 

 utters a weak piping note while on the wing, and occasionally 

 while running up and down the trees. Its flight, which is 

 generally performed in rather rapid undulating starts, is of 

 short duration." 



Gilbert subsequently informed me, on the authority of Mr. 

 Johnson Drummond, that this species " makes a nest of short 

 strips of bark attached together and fastened to the branch with 

 cobwebs, and so covered over with them as to be very nearly 

 smooth ; the cobweb is laid or felted on, not wound round 

 the pieces; and portions of lichen are frequently attached. The 

 nest is generally placed in the highest and most slender fork 

 of an Acacia, and is most difficult to detect, from its very 

 diminutive size and from its resembling a slight excrescence 



