316 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Sp. 184. SPHENOSTOMA CRISTATUM, Gould. 



Crested Wedge-bill. 



Sphenostoma cristatum, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part v. p. 150. 

 cristata, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i. Introd. p. xliii. 



Sphenostoma cristatum, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. iii. 

 pi. 17. 



The Crested Wedge-bill is an inhabitant of the low scrubby 

 trees and Polygonum bushes which stud the hot plains of the 

 interior of Australia, particularly those on the borders of the 

 Lachlan and Darling : it has also been killed on the Lower 

 Namoi. Whether it has any kind of loud sharp whistle 

 analogous to that of the Coach-whip-bird {Psophodes crepitans), 

 or if it has the same shy disposition, it would be interesting to 

 ascertain ; and to these points, as well as to all other details 

 connected with its history, I would call the attention of those 

 who may visit the interior, or may otherwise be favourably 

 situated for observing them. The sombre tints of the bird 

 are very like the colour of the earth of the plains it inhabits ; 

 and when the nature of its food shall have been ascertained, 

 its wedge-shaped bill will doubtless be found admirably 

 adapted for procuring it. 



General plumage brown, hghter beneath; chin and centre 

 of the abdomen greyish white ; wings dark brown, edged 

 with pale brown, the fourth and fifth primaries conspicuously 

 margined with white ; four centre tail-feathers dark brown, 

 indistinctly barred with a still darker hue ; the remainder 

 brownish black, largely tipped with white ; bill blackish 

 brown ; feet lead-colour. 



A nest of this species now in the British Museum is rather 

 large, round, cup-shaped, outwardly composed of fine twigs 

 and lined with grasses. The eggs in my own collection are 

 like those of Psophodes crepitans, lengthened and elegant in 

 form, their ground-colour delicate greenish blue, thinly 

 sprinkled with purplish-black specks, particularly at the larger 



