442 



Many of the birds were found to be those of a typical 

 desert country, and were previously met with by me over the 

 whole of the central area. I was surprised not to have seen 

 a single Crested Rock Pigeon (Lophophaps plumifera 

 leucogaster), for these birds were seen in numbers by Capt. 

 Sturt when he discovered that region. But it is more than 

 likely that the domestic cat introduced by white man and 

 now gone wild, has exterminated this lovely bird. I believe 

 I am the first to write up the avifauna of the Cooper Creek 

 district. The only bird I know of being described from the 

 Cooper is the Pallid Yellow-vented Parrot (Northiella 

 haematogaster \pallescens, Salvadori). From what part of the 

 Cooper this bird came or how Count Salvadori obtained it, I 

 am not aware. 



Each species in the following list has my field notes 

 attached ; the measurements of the total length and expanse 

 of the wings are expressed in millimetres; the nomenclature 

 is that of Gregory M. Mathews' ''List of the Birds of 

 Australia, 1913." 



I have compared the birds' skins with those in my own 

 collection and in the South Australian Museum, and in 

 reference to the latter I have to thank Mr. F. R. Zietz, 

 Museum Ornithologist, in giving me every assistance in 

 examining the collection under his charge. 



Order CASURIIFORMES. 



Family DROMICEIIDAE. 



Dromiceius novae-hollandiae, Latham (Emu). 

 Not a single bird was seen during the trip, and only once 

 were their tracks noticed. 



Order TURNICIFORMES. 

 Family TURNICIDAE. 



Austroturnix v. velox, Gould (Little Quail). 



A fair number of these swift-flying quail were met with 

 on flooded ground near the Cooper, whenever there was 

 sufficient cover for them, generally in pairs, and once 

 flushed were seldom seen again. Two specimens were obtained, 

 and upon comparison with skins taken near Adelaide, show 

 little or no variation. 



Total length. Expanse of wings. 



September 25 ^ 139-5 mm. 255 mm. 



October 5 ... ^ 152 mm. 257*5 mm. 



