441 



(h) AVES. 



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



Plate XXXI. 



The tract of country collected over practically formed 

 a triangle, situated between the Cooper and Strzelecki Creeks, 

 and the expedition traversed two sides, the railway between 

 Farina and Hergott Springs forming the base. Seeing that 

 the Cooper is much more often in flood than any other creek 

 or river in the Central region, and that many fine waterholes 

 occur along its course, one would naturally suppose that the 

 bird-life would be much more numerous in comparison with 

 drier districts, but I was exceedingly surprised and disap- 

 pointed to find that this was not the case. With the exception 

 of the Bare-eyed Cockatoos (Ducorpsius gymnopis), Rose- 

 breasted Cockatoo (Eolophus roseicapillus), and the Shell 

 Parrots or Love Birds (Melopsittacus undulatus ) , the 

 paucity of bird-life was remarkable. This may be to some 

 extent due to severe droughts coming upon an overstocked 

 country, and to the ravages of rabbits, for much of the bush 

 of the country is almost exterminated, and, as far as I can 

 see, is going from bad to worse. The time of our visit to 

 the district was a remarkably good season, but in spite of the 

 great quantity of herbage growing over the sandy country, 

 there is no chance, even if a number of good seasons should 

 succeed each other (which is not at all likely), of the country 

 ever regaining its original state. So it is quite possible much 

 of the bird-life has shifted into unoccupied districts. When 

 the expedition had almost completed the journey, it was 

 found that the Diamantina, to the north, had been in flood 

 for several months, and there is little doubt much of the 

 water-fowl had collected there to nest earlier in the season. 



One hundred and six species of birds were collected or 

 recorded during the period of the expedition. 



A new tree-creeper (Climacteris waitei) was discovered 

 on the Cooper, and the nest and eggs of Ashbyia lovensis were 

 made known to science. 



The expedition has been the means of greatly extending 

 our knowledge of the range of distribution of many species, 

 especially so with the Black-banded Whiteface (Aphelo- 

 cephala nigricincta ) and the Desert Chat (Ashbyia lovensis). 



