140 THE USEFUL BIRDS 



seen by myself, on the River Murray, a pair was flitting 

 among the saltbushes in search of insects, appearing amid 

 the comparatively drab surroundings like two flashes of 

 crimson colour rather than birds of flesh and feathers. At 

 the time of my visit (October) many nests contained eggs, 

 and even young, whilst others were only in process of 

 construction. 



Nest.— In all respects the same as an average specimen of 

 Ephthianura albifrons, described above. 



Eggs. — ^So much like those of E. albifrons that the 

 difi'erence in colouration and size is scarcely perceptible. 



ORANGE-WINGED TREE-RUNNER 



(Bark-runner), 



Sittella chrysoptera, Lath. 



Si-tel'd kris-op'te-rd. 



Sitte, a kind of woodpecker {sittella, diminutive); chncsos, gold; 



pteron, a wing. 



Sittella chrysoptera, Gould, "Birds of Australia," fol., vol. iv., 



pi. 101. 



Geographical Distribution. — Areas 2, 3, 4, 0. 



Key to the Species. — Middle third of wing quills forming a large 

 rusty-red patch ; breast and abdomen streaked with brown ; crown 

 of head dark brown. Bill pointed and slightly curved upwards ; 

 nostrils with a cutaneous valve. 



Of the seven species of Tree-runners, four occur in the south 

 of the continent ; one — Black-capped Tree-runner— inhabits 

 Western AusiraUa as wefl as the eastern portion. The 

 vernacular name indicates its habit of running along the 



