756 



ApHELOCEPHALA PECTORAL! S, Gould 



(Chestnut-breasted Whitef ace) . 



The rediscovery of this bird was a great surprise, John 

 Gould having described it in 1871, and it had not been seen 

 since. It was met with in small parties on the tablelands or 

 gibber country, about fifty miles west of Oodnadatta, and 

 continued to do so off and on till we entered the granite 

 country west of the Indulkana Range, and this range may form 

 the westerly limit. They were hopping about on stony ground 

 in search of seeds. When alarmed they flew into a bush (if 

 one was near), then off to some little distance to alight upon 

 the ground, where they moved about very quickly. When on 

 the wing they uttered a twittering note. A good series of 

 species was collected — adult males and females, as well as 

 immature birds. Rain having fallen lightly over a restricted 

 area a few weeks prior to our visit, these birds had nested and 

 brought up their young, having quite a number with them. 

 In some cases the young birds had a few dark spots appearing 

 on the faint buff band which crosses the breast. 



Aphelocephala nigricincta, North 



(Black-banded Whitef ace). 



Numbers of these birds were met with on the stony table- 

 lands, often in compan}^ with A. pecf oralis, and, like that bird^ 

 were not seen after entering the granite country, although A. c 

 whitei was plentiful everywhere. 



SpHENO STOMA CRISTATUM PALLIDUM, MatliewS 



(Pale Wedgebill). 



Scattered throughout the country visited ; were met with 

 in very dry localities. They move very rapidly over the 

 ground in long hops, taking flight every little while to a low 

 bush, and while on the wing invariably spread out the tail, 

 and when they alight hop from branch very quickly with crest 

 erected. Specimens taken near the Musgrave Ranges are very^ 

 light in colouration. 



Family SITTIDAE. 



Neositta pileata tenuirostris, Gould 



(Slender-billed Tree-runner). 



Small parties were met with in the mulga scrubs, where 

 they were searching for insects in the crevices and behind the 

 trunks and branches. Specimens do not show any variation 

 to birds found further south. 



