Vol 



^9^'^ ] Barnard, Northern Territory Birds. Ah 



Melopsittacus undulatus (M. %i. intermedius). — Very plentiful about 

 the head of the river, where they were breeding in the stunted timber. 

 None was seen about Borroloola. 



Podargus phalsenoides (Podargus strigoides phalcenoides). — A number 

 of nests was found during October and November, but they mostly 

 had young. A second clutch of eggs was laid in January. In some 

 instances eggs were laid in the same nests in which young were seen 

 previously. 



Colluricincla brunnea (C. b. brtmnea). — Found mostly on the fiat 

 country, and occasionally on low sandstone hills. The nests were 

 found generally in the tops of hollow stumps, and occasionally in the 

 fork of a thick shrub. A set of eggs was taken in one instance from 

 an old Babbler's nest. In several instances four eggs formed a clutch. 



Colluricincla woodwardi. — These birds were first noticed in high 

 sandstone country at the junction of the M'Arthur and Clyde Rivers, 

 in September, but they were not breeding. Later we found them 

 in the same belt of country, west of Borroloola. An account of the 

 taking of the first nest has already appeared in The Emit,.* Three 

 weeks after taking this nest I again visited the same locaUty, and 

 was successful in taking several sets, each containing three eggs. 

 The nests were all placed in holes or on the ledges of the large over- 

 hanging sandstone rocks. All were composed of the fine reddish 

 roots of the spinifex. The country inhabited by these birds has to 

 be seen before an idea of its roughness can be formed. 



Grallina picata (G cyanoleuca neglecta). — Common birds on all the 

 Northern rivers and lagoons. They were noted as foster-parents of 

 Eudynamys cyanocephala (E. orientalis subcyanocephalus). 



Gymnorhina tibicen (G. t. terrceregince). — This bird was plentiful on 

 the Barclay Table-land during our visit in the beginning of 1913, but 

 we did not obtain any eggs. Another bird which I think is slightly 

 different from the table-land bird was found on the M'Arthur. As 

 I wished to obtain the eggs of the table-land bird for Mr. White, I 

 sent my assistant, V. White, back there in October. He was 

 successful in getting a good series of their eggs during October and 

 November, while I was successful in getting a series of eggs of the 

 M'Arthur River bird in the same months. Skins of the M'Arthur 

 bird await, in England, identification by Mr. G. M. Mathews. 



Cracticus nlgrogularis (C. n. picatus). — Fairly common on the 

 M'Arthur, where they were breeding. They appear to inhabit any 

 class of country, 



Falcunculus whitii {F. frontatus ivhiiei). — This bird was rare on the 

 M'Arthur, and only a few pairs were seen. These were always on the 

 dry stringybark ridges, where they were hunting among the dead 

 leaves and dry tree-stems for insects. Two nests were found in the 

 forks of the topmost branches of tall stringy-bark saplings. One 

 nest contained a pair of fresh eggs ; the other contained one egg from 

 which the young bird was just emerging and one addled Qgg. 



Oreoica cristata {O. c. pallescens). — These birds frequent the dry 

 spinifex and stringybark ridges, where their bell-like notes were often 

 heard. A nest found in the top of a dead stump 4 feet from the 

 ground contained three fresh eggs. Several hairy caterpillars were 

 placed on the edge of the nest. 



* Emu, vol. xiii., part 4, pp. 210-212. 



