^'°'g,^' ] Sullivan, Some Mallee Birds. Iig 



My ()-mile ride to work c\ery sjiring morning gave me a feast 

 of song and colour. White-shouldered CateriJiUar-eatcrs, White- 

 faces {ApliLioccphala Icitcopsis), Rufous-breasted Thickheads, and 

 Southern Fly-eaters (Pseudogerygone culicivora), all brilliant 

 songsters, sang along my track, while out of every chain of grass 

 were flushed Yellow-rumped Tits {Acanthiza chrysorrhoa), Chestnut- 

 rumjied Tits (.1 . iiropygialis). Spotted-sided Finches [Stagano- 

 pleiira guttata), and White-fronted Chats {Ephthianura alhifrons). 



The Black-backed Wren (Maliirits melanonotits) is common, 

 l^rticularly round the lake, but a specimen of the so-called Blue 

 Wren {Maliiru^ cyaneiis) was not seen. Re the article on the 

 Blue Wren of Tasmania (Emu, vol. x., ist Jan., 1910), it is my 

 impression that, in the case of Maliirus melanonotus, the immature 

 male cannot be distinguished from the female by the colour of the 

 tail feathers, for if the tail feathers of both sexes are not blue 

 I have not seen a female in the district, although 1 lia\c seen 

 numerous pairs of the species. 



The Red-tipi^ed Pardalote [Pardalotus ornatus) is common, and 

 I once saw a Yellow-rumped Pardalote {Pardalotus xanthopygius). 



The Flame-breasted Robin {Petrceca phcenicea), the Red-capped 

 Robin (P. goodenovii), and the Hooded Robin (P. bicolor), were 

 all here in April. The Flame-breasted Robin seemed to leave 

 about August, but a few specimens of the Red-capped species 

 lingered as late as November. 



The following fifteen birds conclude the number I have recog- 

 nized during my stay in the district : — Little Tit [Acanthiza nana). 

 Pipit {Anthus australis). Pallid Cuckoo {Cuculus inornatus). 

 Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis rujulus). Black-faced Cuckoo- 

 Shrike {Coracina robusta). White-shafted Fantail [Rhipidura 

 albiscapa), Black-and-White Fantail (P. tricolor). Restless Fly- 

 catcher (Sisura inquieta). Brown Tree-creeper {Climacteris 

 picumna). Black-capped Sittella (Neositta pileata), Magpie-Lark 

 [GraUina picata), Stone-Plover (Burhinus grallarins). Grey Shrike- 

 Thrush {CoUvriocichla harmonica). White-browed Babbler (Poma- 

 torhinus supirciliosus). Swallow [Hirundo neoxena), and Fairy 

 Martin (Petrochclidon arid). 



Notes on the Rufous Bristle-Bird. 

 By J. A. Ross (Victoria). 

 {Read before tJie Bird Observers' C/itb, iqth July., 191 1.) 

 Of the four species into which the genus Sphenura is divided, only 

 two (brachyptera and longirostris) had been described when, in 

 1865, Gould published his " Handbook to the Birds of Australia," 

 although seven years earher the late Mr. K. Broadbent, in thick 

 scrub in south-western Victoria, had secured a specimen of S. 

 broadbenti. However, it was not described until 1867, when Sir 

 F. M'Coy ]niblished particulars of it in The Annals and Magazine 

 of Natural Histurv. It lias generally been regarded as a very 



