54 Hall, Notes on Bird-Skins from N. IV. Australia. [is!^o"t. 



having a struggle in the breaking of a large white grub (22/8/0 1). 

 It went from bough to bough, and stayed very little time on any 

 one branch. On 23rd July, 1901, I found a nest in a bank over- 

 hanging a waterhole. The bank was set like cement for the first 

 2 inches, after that sand. It is wonderful that such little birds 

 can do this lathe-like drilling. It went in for 18 inches. Dimen- 

 sion of chamber, 4 x 4 x 5.5 inches ; nest lined with paper 

 bark.] 



65. Pardalotus uropygialis (Gould), Chestnut-rumped Par- 

 dalote. 



Pardalotus uropygialis^ Gould, Birds Aust., foL, vol. ii., pi. 41 (i! 

 Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. x., p. 62 (1885). 



a. Adult male, 16/1/00. 



b. Young female, 27/8/00. 



In a the crown is showing the last of the moult from grey to 

 black, being now almost dense black. The rump colouring 

 agrees with the text of Gould, but not the figure, which is 

 much more highly and brightly coloured. The bill of this 

 specimen is also much larger than those referred to by Gould. 



Description of Young Female. — In general appearance it is like 

 the adult. Feathers of forehead grey, broadly centred with deep 

 brown ; feathers of crown deep brown edged with grey ; lores 

 light orange ; brows creamy-white and extending well back ; 

 primaries light brown and edged with the white of the adult ; 

 speculum not so crimson as in adult. [Bill creamy-white, 

 culmen brown ; legs and feet leaden grey.] 



[Of this and the preceding species I have found several nests, 

 and I have invariably found the present one to tunnel in loose 

 earth instead of hard ground. On 25/6/01 I secured a nest 

 built in loose sandy soil. It was roofed and built of flat paper 

 bark. In it were two eggs. Another nest containing two eggs 

 was found in the inside of an old well (loth November) that had 

 fallen in. The drill was six inches, and the nest made princi- 

 pally of ribbon-grass roots, a silky-like substance.] 



66. Petrochelidon ARIEL (Gould), Fairy Martin. 



Callocalia arid, Gould, Birds Aust., fol., vol. ii., pi. 15 (1848). 

 Lagenoplastes arid., Gould, Handbook Birds Aust., i., p. 113 (1865). 

 Petrodielidon arid, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. x , p. 199 

 (1885). 



Adult female, 15/7/co. 



[Irides reddish-brown ; legs and feet black.] 



[On 20/2/01 I saw 100 to 200 in a flock on a small plain.] 



6^]. Bathilda RUFICAUDA (Gould), Red-faced Finch. 



Estrilda ruficauda, Gould, Birds Aust., fol., vol. iii., pi. 84 (1848). 

 Bathilda rufitauda, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xiii., p. 374 

 (1890). 

 Adult male, 13/ 10/01. 

 Young male, 13/10/01. 



