433 



Grallina cyanoleuca (Magpie-Lark). 



Seen in many places throughout the central region where- 

 ever the waters were anything like permanent. 



Family LANIID^E. 



Gymnorhina tibicens intermissa( ?) (Victorian Black-backed 



Magpie). 

 We did not meet with this bird till we got fairly high 

 up on the Finke, and as we approached the MacDonnell 

 Ranges they became more plentiful. They were certainly far 

 more numerous than G. hypoleuca leuconota. North-east of 

 Arltunga, in the Hart Mountains, both species were seen on 

 the same plain within a mile of each other. 



Gymnorhina hypoleuca leuconota (White-backed Magpie). 



These birds were first seen east of Alice Springs, where 

 they were not plentiful, in small parties, in the same country 

 as the above species, but we saw no intermingling of the two 

 closely-allied species. This is a new record for the central 

 regions, I believe. 



Cracticus nigrogularis, sub.-sp. ( 1) (Black-throated 



Butcher Bird). 

 These birds were fairly plentiful all along the Finke 

 River. We greatly enjoyed their beautiful carol in the early 

 mornings. They have without doubt a glorious voice, and 

 many of their short calls are full of tone and volume of sound. 

 They are very pugnacious birds, and wage war upon all other 

 birds that come in sight. The first year's plumage seems to 

 be a dull-grey for both sexes, although old hands in that 

 country told me the grey birds were females ; but I proved 

 this to be incorrect. 



Bulestes torquatus, sub-sp. ( ?) (Collared Butcher Bird). 



Not plentiful. A few were seen in the mulga scrubs; 

 very often a solitary bird, which made us often think the 

 mate may be nesting, but we never succeeded in locating a 

 nest. We did not see this species in the ranges. One bird 

 dissected; the stomach contents were numerous grasshoppers. 



Oreoica cristata (Crested Bell Bird). 



Although this bird was found thinly distributed over 

 nearly all the country we worked, it was not nearly so plentiful 

 as one would expect, and we did not hear them calling at any 

 time with the same zest as they do farther south. 



