Genus SPHENOSTOMA, Gould. 
CHARACTEKES GENERICI. 
Rostrum hreve, durum, later aliter compressum, et cuneiforme ; nares hasales, rotundafa, opertce ; rictus 
rectus; mandihidd superior e haud dentatd ; setis delicatis ad basin sparsis. A\k perbreves et ro- 
tundatcB, remigibus quarto, quinto, et sexto fere wqualibus et longissimis. Cauda elongata, et gra- 
data. Tarsi mediocres, robusti ; antice squaniis tecti ; j^ostice Iccves. Pedes breves ; digito postico 
valido, digitis externis incequalibus, interna brevissimo. 
GENERIC CHARACTER. 
Bill very short, hard, comjDressed laterally, and wedge-sliaped ; nostrils basal, round, open ; tomia 
straight ; upper mandible without a notch at the tip ; two or three fine hairs at the base of the bill ; 
wi7ig very short and round, the fourth, fifth, and sixth quills nearly equal and the longest ; tail long 
and graduated ; tarsi moderately long and strong, shielded before with several plates, entire behind ; 
toes short, hind toe strong, lateral toes unequal, the inner one the shortest. 
SPHENOSTOMA CRISTATUM, Gould. 
Sphen. capite plumis angustis acutis antice curvatis cristato ; corpore supra et subtiis omnino fusco ; 
abdomine medio cinerescenti-alho ; caudd fused ; rectricibus tribus externis utrinque ad apicem 
albis ; rostro nigrescente ; pedibus plumbeis. 
Long. tot. 8 unc. ; rostri, \ ; al<B, 3g- ; caudce, 4^ ; tarsi, |-. 
Head furnished with a crest of narrow, elongated feathers bent slightly forwards ; the whole of the 
upper and under surface brown, except the centre of the abdomen, which is greyish white ; tail long, 
graduated, and of a dark brown, with the three outer feathers largely tipped with white ; bill blackisli 
brown ; feet lead colour. 
Syn. Sphenostoma cristatum, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, Part V., 1837. 
Remark. This species is closely allied to Struthidea. 
Habitat. Australia : locality. New South Wales. 
