40 HOWE, The Genus CUmacteris. [^isffuT 



of three males. Two of these, collected on the Kirrama Table- 

 land, near Cardwell, are much lighter on the back than the bird 

 from the Watson River, North Queensland. 



Climacteris rufa. The Rufous Tree-creeper.— Range. — 

 Southern i)ortions of West and vSouth Australia. Type locality, 

 Swan River, West Australia. Frequenting country overgrown 

 with Acacia, Salmon-barked and York Gum, Jarrah and Mallee. 

 Xest. — Very warm, of soft grasses, the down of flowers and 

 feathers; placed low down in a hollow, generally close to the 

 ground. Eggs. — Clutch, three ; roundish in form ; texture of 

 shell fine; surface slightly grossy; colour, light purplish-buff, 

 clouded chiefly with dull or light purple and a few heavier spots 

 and blotches of reddish brown ; in some examples the reddish- 

 brown markings predominate (Campbell). Dimensions in 

 inches: (a) .78 x .51, (b) .68 x .51. As Gould pointed out, this 

 is the western representative of the Brown Tree-creeper (C. 

 picumna). Gilbert i)rocured the bird on the Swan River, where 

 it was abundant in gum trees abounding with white ants {Ter- 

 mites). Mr. Milligan saw the birds on the Margaret River, 

 harmonising with the rufous-coloured bark of the jarrah trees, 

 and also with the iron-stone gravel country. He also observed 

 them secure their food by "digging or probing with their bills," 

 as already stated under the Brown Tree-creeper. Mr. Milligan 

 also found the Rufous Tree-creeper plentiful in the Stirling 

 Range and Wongan Hills. Mr. Gerald Hill found the birds 

 common at Brookton, hunting among the dead logs as well as 

 in the trees. He adds: "Has a peculiar cry, which reminded me 

 of that of the Rufous Bristle-Bird {Sphenura broadhenti)." 

 When exploring the Gawler Ranges of South Australia, Captain 

 S. A. White* discovered the eggs of a bird which Mr. Mathews 

 described as a sub-species — JVhitlocka rufa orieu talis. Captain 

 White described the eggs in the Austral Avian Record, vol. i., p. 

 196. In this eastern race the markings on the fore-neck and 

 chest are much darker and of greater extent than in the western 

 forms, but I cannot find any variation in IT. r. ohscura from 

 the dominant species. 



Climacteris waitei. The Cooper's Creek T ree- creeper. -- 

 Range. — "As far as is yet known, the bird is confined to Cooper's 

 Creek, from above Innamincka in the east to Cuttapirie Corner 

 in the west." 



I would refer readers to Captain White's description and 

 notes*, and also to the same journal for further notes accom- 

 panied by a beautiful plate. t I was glad to examine the skin 

 figured in TJie Emu, which, unfortunately was unsexed. The 

 colour scheme points to it as l)eing the closest ally of the Brown 

 Tree-Creei)er {C. picumna). 



* '-The Emu" Vol. XIII.. pp. :iO and :',1. 

 t "The Emu." Vol. XVII.. frontispiece. 



