The Insectivorous Birds of N.S. W. 11 



38. Ealcunculus erontattts, Vieillot. " Crested Shrike-Tit." 



Falcunculus frontatus, Gould, Birds of Austr., fol. ed., Yol. u, pi. 79 (1848); 

 North, Nests and Eggs of Austr. Bds., p. 69, pi. Tin, fig. 9 (1889). 

 A resident species widely distributed over the greater portion of New 

 South Wales. It usually frequents the tall Eucalypti, and while engaged in 

 its search for insects among their leafy tops, utters a low plaintive note. 

 The nest is a beautiful inverted cone-shaped structure outwardly composed 

 of shreds of fibrous bark bound round, and held together with spider's webs, 

 the inside being lined with very fine wiry grasses and thin strips of bark, and 

 is always placed in the thin topmost leafy twigs of a tree, usually a lofty 

 Eucalyptus, but sometimes in a gum sapling. The eggs are white, minutely 

 dotted, and spotted with slaty -black markings ; length, 92 x 0'04 inch. The 

 figure represents a male. 



39. Oeeoica cristata, Lewin. " Crested Oreoica," " Bell-bird." 

 Oreoica gutturalis, Gould, Birds of Austr., fol. ed., Vol. u, pi. 81 (1848). 

 Oreoica cristata, North, Nests and Eggs of Austr. Bds., p. 70, pi. viii, fig 6 



(1889). 

 A resident species common in the inland portions of the Colony. It 

 possesses the powers of ventriloquism, and from some of its notes uttered, 

 usually when perched upon the branch of some lofty tree, and which resemble 

 the solemn tolling of a bell, it is known to the residents of the interior and 

 western portions of New South "Wales by the local name of " Bell-bird." 

 This bird, however, must not be confounded with the Bell-bird (Myzaniha 

 melanophrys) , found near the coast, whose ceaseless and somewhat monotonous 

 note sounds like a sheep-bell. The nest which is built of strips of bark and 

 leaves, and lined with fibrous roots and grasses is usually placed in the 

 hollow top of a stump, or in the three pronged fork of a low tree. The 

 eggs are two or three in number for a sitting, of a faint bluish-white 

 minutely spotted, and blotched with irregular-shaped black markings ; length, 

 1'05 x 0'83 inch. August and the three following months constitutes the 

 normal breeding season of this species. The figure represents a male. 



40. SpHE^rosTOiiA cristata, Gould. " Crested Wedge-bill." 

 SpJienostoma cristatum, Could, Birds of Austr., fol. ed., Yol. in, pi. 17 (1848) . 

 Sphenostoma cristata, North, Nests and Eggs of Austr. Bds., p. 71, pi. tut, 



fig. 5 (1889). 

 A species seldom met with except in the scrubby undergrowth of the 

 central and western districts of New South Wales. It builds an open cup- 

 shaped nest of thin twigs and grasses, usually placed in some low bush, and 

 lays two eggs of a bluish-green ground colour, spotted and dotted with 

 black or purplish-brown markings ; length, 0*92 x 0"7 inch. 



41. Psophodes crepitans, Yig. and Horsf. " Whip-bird." 



PsopTiodes crepitans, Gould, Birds of Austr., fol. ed., Yol. in, pi. 15 (1818) ; 

 North, Nests and Eggs of Austr. Bds., p. 72, pi. Tin, fig. 7 (1889). 



A shy and retiring species, widely distributed over the eastern portion of 

 New South Wales. It frequents the scrubs and brushes near the coast, as 

 well as the fern- clad gullies of our mountain ranges, although the loud note 

 of the male, resembling the cracking of a stockman's whip, is more often 

 heard than the bird is seen. This species forms an open cup-shaped nest, 

 rather irregularly formed on the exterior with long thin twigs and fibrous 



