44 RUDOLF SÖDERBERG, STUDIES OF THE BIRDS IN NORTH WEST AUSTRALIA. 
Variants. — One spec. (9) brighter than the others, buff margins on the 
head (younger specimen). Some have the breast-part lighter and darker in the or- 
namentation of the throat, but no variation in colour. 
Moulting. — N:r 1 (above) moulting on the breast, n:r 2 on neck and back n:r 3 
in strong moulting on throat, breast and back, n:r 4 on back and breast, and the 
light-brown spot on the neck particularly strongly moulting, n:r 5 appears to be 
quite ready, extraordinarily pretty in colour, n:r 6 moulting on throat etc. 
Cat. of birds gives concerning the moulting of this species information, which 
is quite in agreement with what I have found in other species: »The sandy buff 
margins to the feathers become bleached to white and in many respects abroaded, 
so that the subterminal black margins of the young plumage remain as margins to 
the dorsal feathers. The adult-plumage is apparently gained by a moulting, and the 
new feathers have a slight indication of a sandy-buff fringe on the upper parts, while 
the chest is mottled with ashy, the feathers having sandy-coloured margins; the 
throat is at first irregularly spotted or streaked with blackish and has scarcely any 
signs of a black crescent. There is considerable variation with regard to the rufous 
colour of the throat and breast; thus it is sometimes very rich in tint. I imagine 
that this is a sign of nesting plumage to a great extent; but it may also indicate the 
age of the bird, the plumage becoming more richly coloured as the birds get older.» 
Ecological. — At the end of Nov. (after the rains) I saw this bird in flocks 
round Mowla Downs. During the month of February it was seen at Nooncanbabh, 
Fitzroy (WIiDELL). 
Fam. Oedicnemide. 
Burhinus grallarius LATH. 
Math. handl. n:r 190. Nestling, Mowla Downs 2/12 1910; juv., Sunday Island 15/3 1911. 
Juvenal. — Down still on the hind part of the neck and on the upper 
part of the rump. For the rest the plumage resembles that of the adults, only 
seems to be more tawny-coloured. 
The nestling. — The general colour above greyish with a tawny tint on the 
head. Two sharp black, parallel, unbroken lines, beginning on the forehead, where 
they are joined, going over the eyes along the back of the neck and back to the 
tail, where they join again, broadest on the neck and upper part of the back. A 
black line also under the eye from the base of the lower mandible to the line of 
the neck, with the ear in the angle between them. A broad black barred line on 
the hind part of the head on the middle of the skull; finally a broad black line on 
all sides of the body, beginning at the sides of the neck, interrupted at the base of 
the neck, forming a line on the wing (upper arm) and the side of the rump, joining 
at the tail. Each line is edged on both sides with a tawny colour, which also ex- 
tends over the surrounding parts, especially on the sides of the rump and at the 
