462 



Family PARIDAE. 



Aphelocephala leucopsis, Gould (Whiteface). 



These birds were scattered all over the country visited. 



Specimens taken agree with the more southern form, and do 



not show any signs of the rufous flanks of A. I. whitei and 



are darker on the upper-surface than the last-mentioned bird. 



Total length. Expanse of wings. 



September 20 g 120 mm. 190 mm. 



September 20 g 120 mm. 190 mm. 



September 22 9 111 mm. 183 mm. 



Aphelocephala nigricincta, North 

 (Black-banded Whiteface). 



The meeting with this bird has extended its known range 

 considerably. The type locality was Missionary Plains, 

 MacDonnell Ranges. In 1914 I recorded this bird as far 

 south as Oodnadatta, but this latest record shows they occur 

 several hundreds of miles further south. The species was met 

 with in small parties in the sandhill country, and from the 

 Strzelecki Creek, in the same class of country, and from the 

 Cooper. Upon comparing the skins taken with those from 

 further north, no difference can be seen. 



Total length. Expanse of wings. 



September 25 9 1^2 mm. 177 mm. 



October 15 ... 9 H5 mm - 161 mm. 



Sphenostoma cristatum pallidum, Mathews 



(Pale Wedgebill). 



These strange birds were not plentiful, and were very shy. 

 Generally met with in the dense bushes of lignum (Muehlen- 

 heckia Cunninghamii), growing in dry watercourses and on 

 flooded ground. They kept very close to cover, and when 

 beaten out showed great cleverness in reaching cover again 

 without giving a chance of a shot. They possess a very sweet 

 song, and if they think they are not observed, will go through 

 all kinds of antics, hopping from one twig to another, hanging 

 with head downwards, bobbing the head up and down, raising 

 and lowering the crest, and all the time giving forth strange 

 notes. The birds taken were remarkably pale in colouration, 

 and differ much from those found nearer the coast. 



Total length. Expanse of wings. 



September 22 tf 208 mm. 256 mm. 



September 27 9 195 mm. 253 mm. 



September 27 $ 215 mm. 253 mm. 



— — (imm.) 195 mm. 245 mm. 



