88 Order Passiformes, Family Artamidae, Genus Pseudartamns. 



men, and flanks; upper and under tail coverts almost black; 

 lores and feathers at the base of the lower mandible dusky; 

 outer surface of wings dark slaty blue; outer web of second, 

 third and fourth primaries white; under wing coverts white; 

 under surface of primaries and secondaries ashy grey; tail 

 black, broadly tipped with white; the two central tail feathers 

 and the outer webs of the two outer tail feathers entirely 

 black; bill light slaty blue, tipped with black; legs and feet 

 lead colour; iris brown. There is little or no difference 

 between the male and female. Young. — Brownish grey above 

 and below, each feather with a broad whitish shaft streak; 

 primaries and secondaries narrowly edged with greyish buff. 



Total length of skin, 170 m.m.; wing, 130 m.m.; tail, 80 

 m.m.; tarsus, 20 m.m.; bill, 16 m.m. 



Distribution. — All the southern parts of this State. It 

 does not extend into the dry interior, its place being there 

 taken by Austrartamus melanops. It is also found in Victoria, 

 New South Wales, Southern Queensland, and Tasmania. 



Habits. — It is a resident bird in South Australia, though, 

 perhaps, not so plentiful in winter as in spring and summer: 

 possibly there is a partial migration or they may wander in 

 search of better food supplies. Odd pairs have been known 

 to stay in the same locality for several years. They like open 

 forest country rather than thick scrub. Most of their time is 

 spent upon the wing, looking for insects, or perched in com- 

 panies upon a bare tree limb, fence, or telegraph wire, from 

 whence they sally forth to catch any passing insects, return- 

 ing to the perch with their capture. When perched in this 

 way they have a habit of lifting one wing, partially opening 

 it as though to stretch it and closing it again: this is repeated 

 many times. After nesting time they congregate in parties 

 of from 10 to 40 in number, and occasionally in much larger 

 flocks. They do not nest in companies: each pair keeps to 

 its own beat, and drives away all intruders of the same species. 

 At this time they will attack any birds or animals, large or 

 small, which come near the nest, and will even attack man, 

 swooping swiftly down up him with harsh cries, and snapping 

 the bill. In the non-breeding season they roost in companies, 

 having the peculiar habit of clinging together in a bunch like 

 a swarm of bees. Favourite roosting places are the thickish 

 branch of a tree with rough bark, such as a peppermint, a 

 thick bunch of gum leaves, or the butt of a mistletoe. The 



