74 OHENEBY ^ MORGAN— Birds of Rivers Murray .V Darling. 



Leggeornis lamherti assimiUs (Purple-backed Wren). — 

 Fairly common. They are met with in pairs in the scrubby 

 acacia country, and in ihe "old man" saltbush growing between 

 the trees on the box flats. 



Artamus leucorhynchus leiicopygialis (White-rumped 

 Wood-Swallow). — A migratory species, arriving at the River 

 banks in September. They do not go in flocks, and are never 

 found f.ir from water. We found nests in hollow spouts, 

 well below the opening, in old magpie larks' nests, and one in 

 the perpendicular fork of a box tree. 



Cinriphcllornis personatus (Masked Wood-Swallow). — A 

 yearly visitor : ;t arrives from the North, late in September. 

 in large flocks in company with the next bird. 



Camphellornis superciliosus (White-browed Wood-Swal 

 low). — Similar in habits and movements to the previous bird. 

 Austrartamus melanops (Black-faced Wood-Swallow).— 

 Migratory, but not in flocks. It prefers sparsely timbered plain 

 country, away from the rivers. 



Pmudartumus ci/fnwptenis (Dusky \^'ood-Swallow). — 

 A resident species generally in pairs ; found both near the river 

 and in the box country. This bird and C. supercilosus and 

 personatus have a delightful subdued song, interspersed with 

 imitations of a few bars of the songs of other birds. 



('oUuricincla Jwrmonun (Grey Shrike Thrush). — A com- 

 mon bird. They are found in pairs both in the river timber 

 and in the scrub country, but less plentifully in the latter ; they 

 commonly nest in the tops of broken stumps. ' 



Grallina cyanoleuca (Magpie Lark). — A very common 

 bird. It is met with in great numbers on the river frontages, 

 and a pair or so are usually to be found around each tank out 

 back. 



Gymnorhina tihicen (Black-backed Magpie). — The com- 

 mon species in the district. Never seen in great numbers. 



Gymnorhina leuconota (White-backed Magpie). — This 

 bird is probably present in small numbers. A very tame pair 

 inhabited the Wentworth common for a time, but they were 

 possibly escaped cage birds. 



Cracticus nigrogularis (Black-throated Butcher-bird). — 

 Not common and confined to the river gums and box flats. They 

 arc very local in their habits, and may be heard in the same 

 small area every spring. They have a beautiful note during 

 the breeding season, and also throughout the year in the early 

 morning. They are fond of chasing and pouncing upon spar- 



