740 



(d) AVES.(') 

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



Order CASURIIFORMES. 



Family DROMICEIIDAE. 



Dromtceius novae-hollandiae, Latham (Emu). 



Owing to the country being in such a very dry state these 



birds must have shifted to where food and water were more 



plentiful. Emu tracks were seen in the sand and soft earth 



in many places. Two or three bunches of feathers were seen 



with the natives, who gave me to understand when rain fell 



emus would be plentiful. The natives are fond of depicting 



this bird in their drawings, and hardly a series of drawings 



was seen without numerous sketches of emu tracks and eggs. 



Order GALLIFORMES. 

 Family MEGAPODIIDAE. 

 Leipoa ocellata, Gould (Western Mallee Fowl). 

 I am induced to put this down to the western form 

 (although I have not handled the bird), because all the north- 

 western birds are more closely allied to the western forms. 

 Old nesting mounds were seen. It can be well understood 

 that this bird would move off to better-watered country, for 

 during the last drought, which covered such a long period, 

 there would not have been sufficient moisture to incubate their 

 eggs. 



Order TURNICIFORMES. 



Family TURNICIDAE. 



AusTROTURNix V. vELOx, Gould (Little Quail). 



While passing through some high kangaroo grass ( Anthis- 



tiria ciliata), close to Tietkens' Birthday Creek, several quail 



were flushed, and although the birds were not handled I feel 



sure they were of the above species. The only other occasion 



upon which they were seen was when we were passing through 



the foothills of the Musgrave Ranges. The country was in 



too poor a state for these birds ; the grasses not having seeded 



for years, the quail had probably migrated to better country. 



Order COLUMBIFORMES. 

 Family COLUMBIDAE. 



Stictopeleia c. cuneata, Latham 

 (Eastern Spotted-shouldered Dove.) 

 This bird was very plentiful along the Alberga and other 

 creeks till we reached about a hundred miles west of Oodnadatta ; 



(1) The nomenclature of this section (Aves) is after Gregory 

 M. Mathews, F.R.S., ''A List of the Birds of Australia, 1913." 



