Jhe £mu 



Official Organ of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union. 



" Birds of zi feattjcr.' 



Vol. XVII.J 



2ND JULY, 191 7. 



[Part i , 



_<^ 



^«^«t^f» h^ 



Cooper's Creek Tree-creeper (Climacteris 



(S. A. White. Hiiiii, vol. xvi., part j, January, 19] 

 By S. a. White, M.B.O.U., R.A.O.U. 



laitei^j 



iJu 2 4 



O'fe 



'^^/•^ 



o//a/ 



The tirst example of this new species was met with in the vicinity 

 of " Burke's Tree." My attention was first drawn to it by the 

 famiHar sharp call of the genus. Directly afterwards a small 

 family party was observed flying from one tree-trunk to another, 

 which they circled in true Climacteris fashion — in short hops, and 

 tail pressed firmly against the bark when ascending the perpen- 

 dicular tree-trunk. 



As soon as the first specimen was secured I felt sure that it was 

 a new bird. After this, and during the time the Cooper was 

 followed down, these birds were often seen, but as soon as per- 

 manent waters were left behind the Tree-creepers were lost sight 

 of. Many immature birds were in company with the parents, 

 and being fully fledged denoted that they were hatched in June 

 or July. 



Climacteris waitei showed a great preference for the box timber, 

 for it was not once seen amongst the large red gum trees on the 

 banks of the creek. These birds were observed once or twice 

 hopping over the ground in close proximity to tree-trunks, and 

 seemed to be in search of insects — most likely ants, for the last- 

 named form the chief food of C. super ciliosa in some parts of the 

 interior. How far this new species is found along the Cooper 

 into- Queensland I had no way of ascertaining, and it may extend 

 much further in the other direction during flood-time. 



