^'°Igi^/''] White, Field Ornithology in South Aus/ralia. I2Q 



which inhabited the same class of country was the Purple-backed 

 Wren {Malunis assiniilis). These pleasing little birds were in 

 small companies amid the salt-bush-like shrubs ; one or two adult 

 males, several immature males, and five or six females comprised 

 the company. Like all members of the genus, they were almost 

 always on the move, searching every twig and going round and 

 round a bush till it was thoroughly examined, then passing over 

 the open space to another. I watched a female dislodge a brown 

 spider from a dead bough which was lying out on an open space. 

 She drew herself up till her thin legs looked abnormally long, and 

 with leaps in the air made blows with her beak at the spider till 

 she had disabled it, when it was carried off to cover, to be de- 

 voured in comfort. The males are very pugnacious ; I saw two 

 clutch each other with their little claws and roll over and over 

 in the dust in frenzied combat. We saw and heard a Strepera 

 in the distance, but were unable to procure a specimen for 

 identification. Dr. A. M. Morgan, who did good work in this 

 country a few years ago, could not procure a specimen, although 

 he tried hard. 



Passing through a thick clump of mallee one day, we alarmed 

 a Boobook Owl {Ninox hoohook). This was the only Owl we saw 

 upon the trip. As far as I could see, it showed no variation in 

 size or colour. Amidst the range the soft cooing of the Peaceful 

 Dove {Geopelia tranqniUa) was frequently heard, and these trustful 

 little birds perched close to us. Where the mistletoe fruit showed 

 signs of ripening we always observed the Mistletoe-Birds {DiccBwn 

 hirundinaceum). Their sharp call could never be mistaken. 

 With so much big timber about we expected Pardalotes to be 

 numerous, but this was not the case, for we saw only a few speci- 

 mens of Pardalotus ornatus. Tracing one or two of the big- 

 timber creeks where they lost themselves out on the plains, we 

 found that a number of Ravens {Corone aitstralis) were still 

 nesting in the high gums, in company with other birds. The 

 Whistling Eagle [Haliastitr sphcnurits) was also nesting. Most of 

 the nests contained young birds. In this locality we saw a pair 

 of Black Falcons [Falco siibniger). We spent much time in 

 searching for the nest, but failed to find it. Along the foothills 

 and down their creeks we met with the Yellow-throated Miner 

 {Myzantha flavigida). Some were nesting in the tall red gums. 

 One nest, composed entirely of wool, was suspended from a 

 hanging bough in a very big gum, 60 feet from the ground, and 

 contained four fresh eggs. The Brown-headed Honey-eater 

 [Melithreptus brevirostris) was the commonest bird in the ranges. 

 It was travelling about in parties of from 12 to 30. The Brown 

 Tree-creeper {Climaderis scandens) was met with among the hills, 

 but was not numerous. While camped in the ranges we heard 

 the Stone-Plover {Biirhimis grallayms) at night. 



After working out the district, we moved down from the range 

 and made our way across to a piece of country which was once 

 the home of the Night- Parrakeet {Geopsittacus ocoidentalis). We 



