32 HOWE. The Genus Climactcrls. TisfS" 



The Genus Climacteris (Tree-creepers) 



V>y 1-. !<:. li( )\\1-:. C.M.Z.S., K.A.( ).L'., Canterl)ury. \icluria. 



'rree-cree])ers of the interesting genus Climacteris are distri- 

 buted throughout Australia, and are related to the Creepers of 

 Europe. They are about si.x inches in length, and have powerful 

 feet, a short square tail, a slightly down-curved bill, and a fawn- 

 coloured band across the wing. In the dry inland portions ol 

 \'ictoria two species, the White-browed and Brown, may be 

 f(nind, while in south-east Victoria the White-throated, the 

 Rcd-browed and Brown species may occur. 



Air. Gregory M. Mathews splits these Tree-creepers into three 

 genera, Climacteris (two species) Keoclima (one species), and 

 Whitlocka (three species), and in the .lustral .Ivian Record, vol. 

 i., part 5, gives his reasons, which, to me, appear slender 

 indeed. In Whitlocka, both melanura and melanota are black, 

 while riifa is a rich chestnut-red, as the name indicates. If these 

 "smaller groups" receive generic distinction because thev are 

 comi)assed by colour, he should ha\e gone further and created 

 another genus, with C. ritfa as type. If, on the other hand, Mr. 

 Mathews means colour-pattern, surely the broad band on the 

 wings, to say nothing of the strange gular patches of most or 

 all the females, and the structure generally — particularly the 

 tarsus — is sufficient to denote affinity. Again, ornithologists who 

 have observed it in the open agree that C. riifa is more clo.sely 

 allied to C. picitiiuia, and, indeed, is its western representative. 

 When more intensive stvidies are made, I am of opinion that 

 structural differences will j)rove slight. As a field ornithologist, 

 I prefer keei)ing these small groups under the old generic name — 

 Climacteris. I also prefer to record sub-s|)ecies with a trinomial 

 name. 



I here take the oi)portunity of thanking Mr. j. A. Kershaw, 

 F.E.S., Curator of the National Museum, Melbourne, for jilacing 

 the skins of Climacteris belonging to that institution at my dis- 

 posal. Also to Messrs. j. A. Ross and Edwin .\shby for the 

 loan of skins. 



For technical descriptions, with the exception of that of C. 

 melanota, see "Nests and Eggs of Birds," by A. J. North. It is 

 remarkable that Mr. North omitted this well-defined species from 

 his monumental work; the descrii)tion should be seen in Gould's 

 Handbook. For forms more recently discovered, and for field- 

 notes, the pages of The Emu and other journals have been well 

 scanned. 



Climacteris leucophfca. White-throatecl Tree-Creeper.— 

 range. — (Jueensland, New South Wales. Victoria, and South 

 Australia. Type locality. New South W'ales. I'Vecptents forest 



