362 THE BIRDS OF AXJSTEALIA 



The Black-tailed Tree-creeper. 



Climacteris melanura. 



All the Northern Coasts of Australia. 



Forehead, all the upper surface, the whole tail and all the wing- 

 eoverts brownish -black; wings dark-brown with a conspicuous pale-bufE 

 band across the extended wing; chin and throat white, each feather 

 broadly edged with black, giving the throat a striped appearance; under 

 wing-coverts brown edged with whitish and fawn; breast abdomen and 

 thighs ferruginous brown, some of the breast feathers with darker brown 

 central streaks; under tail-coverts brownish-black with buffish cross- 

 markings; bill and feet blackish-brown, iris dark red-brown. Total length 

 6 to 7 inches, culmen .7 to .8, wing 3.75 to 4, tail 2.8 to 3, tarsus 1. 



Chestnut-bellied Tree-creeper. 



Climacteris wellsi. 



North-west Australia (Upper Gascoyne Eiver district). 



Closely allied to C. melanura, but differs in having the underparts- 

 chestnut instead of brown, and the middle of the breast rufous-buff 

 (instead of smoky-buff) with white black-edged, shaft-streaks; the 

 under tail-coverts are black, strongly barred with white. Length 7.0 to- 

 7.25 inches, wing 3.7 to 3.85, tail 2.7. (Ogilvie Grant). 



The Black-backed Tree-creeper. 



Climacteris melanonota. 



Northern Territory and North Queensland. 



Like preceding, but throat unstriped; under-surface pale vinous- 

 brown; the feathers of the abdomen with a central white shaft stripe- 

 with a black stripe on either side of it. 



The Rufous Tree-creeper. 



Climacteris rufa. 



South and West Australia. 



All the upper parts coloured as in C. scandens, but the feathers of 

 the rump and upper tail-coverts rufous-brown; sides, head and ear-coverts, 

 cheeks, chin, under wing-coverts and axillaries uniform rusty-red; centre- 

 of breast and abdomen, sides and flanks rusty-red. 



The White-throated Tree-creeper. 



Climacteris picumna {leucophcea) . 



South Australia and the Eastern States. 



Distinguished from preceding by the paler under-surface and absenee- 

 of rusty-red; chin, cheeks and upper throat pale-buff; sides of neck and 

 upper breast greyish-buff; all the feathers of the breast, sides, flanks and' 

 abdomen having a longitudinal central stripe of dull white, this stripe- 

 bordered on each side by a line of black-brown, the whole feather broadly 

 edged with pale -buff. 



