THE WEDGEBILL 601 



Mr. Robert Hall records a curious instance of their friendli- 

 ness to, or lack of fear of, man. For years several pairs of 

 Whitefaces, in company with the imported Sparrows, occupied 

 the verandah and outbuildings of a wayside inn at Lake Boga, 

 in the Swan Hill district. They were accustomed to feed on the 

 crumbs and other relics of the inn table, and built their nests 

 and reared their young about the place. The nests were loosely 

 constructed, much like those of the Sparrows, but rather smaller, 

 and like the Sparrows the Whitefaces made use of any suitable 

 odds and ends of materials which presented themselves. There 

 were four or five eggs in each clutch, and several broods were 

 reared in the season. One nest was built within a few feet of 

 the main door of the inn. Another, strangely enough, was built 

 in the end of a loosely-rolled curtain of a waggonette. The 

 vehicle was used on two occasions without the birds being 

 noticed or disturbed. Later on the waggonette was used for a 

 long drive of twenty-two miles, and on the return the curtain 

 was lowered, when, to the surprise of the owner, down came a 

 nest with five eggs, which contained living chicks, and must 

 have been nearlv fullv incubated in this strange situation. 



Gemis Sphenostoma. 



Bill not higher than broad, wedge-shaped, curved. Nostrils 

 quite exposed. A crest of long feathers on the crown. 

 Insectivorous. 



The Wedgebill. 



Sphenostoma cristatum. 



The inland areas of all the States. 



Above uniform earthy-brown; tail feathers with large white tips; 

 beneath dingy white washed with grey or brown. Length 6.5 inches. 



It builds an open cup-shaped nest of thin twigs and lined 

 with grasses, generally placed in a low bush, and lays two 

 (sometimes 3) eggs of a light bluish-green ground colour, boldly 

 dotted with small black or dark sepia markings. 1.0 x .68 inch. 



