748 



OwENAVis oscuLANS, Gould (Black-eared Cuckoo). 

 Quite a number of these birds were met with, and their 

 jDlaintive call of one note was often heard in the dry mulga 

 scrub. 



Neochalcites basalts, Horsfield 

 (Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo). 

 Only one bird was seen, which was taken, and it shows 

 little or no variation to birds found further south. 



Order PASSERIFORMES. 



Family HIRUNDINIDAE. 



HiRUNDO NEOXENA, Gould (Welcome Swallow). 



A few seen round the homestead at Todmorden and a few 

 in the ranges. 



Cheramoeca leucosternum stonei, Mathews 

 (Black-and-white Swallow). 

 This bird was often met with during the journey ; in many 

 cases it was nesting in the banks of dry water-courses. The 

 tunnels to the nest varied in length according to the softness 

 of the material through which they had to work. Skins 

 showed no variation to those found round Adelaide. 



Family MUSCICAPIDAE. 



Whiteornis goodenovii, Vigors and Horsfield 



(Southern Red-capped Robin). 



A common bird in the mulga scrubs. No signs of nesting 

 were seen ; possibly it was too early, or owing to the drought 

 they had deferred their nesting until such time as rain fell. 

 Quite as many birds were found without the red feathers on 

 the throat as with them, both in the same locality, which makes 

 TI'. g. ramsayi a very doubtful subspecies. 



Melanodryas cucullata vigor si, Mathews 

 (Southern Hooded Robin). 

 Found all over the country traversed. The only variation 

 with specimens taken further south is that the northern bird 

 has a more slender bill, and this is consistent, for all skins 

 collected north of Oodnadatta in 1913 show the same charac- 

 teristic. These birds in the north-west have a most remarkable 

 call, being identical with the Red-rumped Kingfisher ; in fact, 

 so much so that the latter bird was hunted for on hearing the 

 call, and it was some time before this peculiar occurrence was 

 discovered. 



