34 HOWE, The Genus CUmacteris. TisffuTy" 



vol. xiv., p. 142, says, "It seems certain that the immature of 

 this (female) sex alone develop the bright rufous colouring on 

 the rump and upper tail coverts." On October 31st, 1920, a nest 

 contained two young birds about ten days old. One had the 

 orange cheek-patch "and bright red rump. The other was minus 

 the cheek-patch and the grey rump was slightly washed with 

 rufous. Traces of the rufous rump and upper tail-coverts may 

 be found more or less in birds otherwise in adult plumage. In 

 the "H. L. White Collection" is a young male with the rump 

 grey, head blackish, legs slate and the bill dark horn ; the throat 

 is fawn, getting gradually darker imtil it is grey on the breast and 

 slightly rufous on the abdomen. Three breast feathers show the 

 white central strii)e and only a trace of the markings on the 

 crown is discernible. This bird, collected at Selby on December 

 28th, 1917, was probably two or three months old. At Ijays- 

 waler on December 11th, 1920, a nest contained four young 

 birds about a fortnight old, and all had a hri(/lit rufous rump. 

 Some good notes on the immature bird by Mr. J. W. Mellor 

 appear in The Emu, vol. xiv., p. 158. Mr. A. C. Smart observed 

 the female fed on the nest by her mate ("Xests and Eggs," 

 Cami)bell}. The breeding season in Victoria extends from 

 August to January, and two broods are reared. This species is 

 a foster parent of the Pallid Cuckoo. 



After examining many skins, I see no reason for retaining Mr. 

 Mathews' South Australian form, C. I. (jrisescens. It is identical 

 with skins from the Dandenong Ranges, X'ictoria. One is struck 

 by the smaller size and slender appearance, the greyish throat, 

 and the beautiful freckled chest and abdomen of the northern 

 form (C minor). A skin in the collection of Mr. Edwin Ashby 

 is undoubtedly referable to C. minor, but it was collected at 

 Bulli, Xew South Wales. Unless the specimen was wrongly 

 labelled, this is very far south for the bird, as its habitat is 

 towards Cape York, North Queensland, the type being collected 

 near Cardwell. 



CUmacteris erythrops. The Red-browed Tree-creei)er.— 

 Range. — Xew South Wales and Victoria. Type locality, Eiver- 

 \)Qo\ Range, Xew South Whales. This species freciuents the big 

 timber of hilly districts. The nest is a layer of reddish-coloured 

 bark, covered by another of fur, and i)laced in a hollow from 

 20 to 100 feet uj). Eggs — clutch two; delicate pinkish-white 

 thickly spotted all over with fine red and puri)lish-red markings, 

 s(jmetimes forming a /.one. Texture of shell fine and somewhat 

 glossy. Dimensions in inches: (a) .74 x .46, (b) .68 x .47; 

 another set was: (1) .68 x .46, (2) .64 x .45. Gould "obtained 

 this interesting sj)ecies while camped on the low, grassy hills 

 under the Liver|)ool Range in Xew South Wales." He re- 

 marked: The female alone is "adorned with the beautiful radi- 

 ated markings on the throat, the male having this part quite 

 plain." 



