THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
in 1896 I saw these birds at Saltia on the top of the Flinders Ranges ; on the 
5th September these birds had fully fledged young in the hollows, as the season 
was an exceptionally dry one, and so they had started to breed very early : 
their call is a pleasing little whistle repeated with a sharp little call as the 
birds fly through the air.” 
From the Austr. Mus. Spec. Cat., No. 1, Vol. HI., I quote Mr. K. H. 
Bennett’s notes from the Mossgiel district. New South Wales : “ Eupheina 
elegans I have met with only on the borders of the large cane-swamps, in the 
open plains far from timber, and either in pairs or small flocks of from five to 
six in number. It is an extremely shy species, and when flushed flies with 
a peculiar zig-zag flight, sometimes pitching to the ground within a short 
distance, but more frequently ascending to a greater altitude and flying off 
until lost to sight. I have never known of an instance of it breeding here.” 
Dr. A. M. Morgan wrote : “ I have met with Neophema elegans from the 
Finniss River in the south, to Yultacowie (South Australia) in the north, 
and also about thirty miles west of Port Augusta. In the latter situation 
they appeared to be migrating westward.” 
The subspecies are two in number, an eastern and western form, and both 
are easily distinguished. When I differentiated the western race I wrote : 
“Differs from P. e. elegans in its darker coloration above, especially on the 
head and rump, its greener coloration below, the small amount of yellow on 
the tail-feathers, and by the almost black frontal line.” 
These characters hold good and I therefore here admit 
Neonanodes elegans elegans (Gould). 
New South Wales ; Victoria : South Australia. 
Neonanodes elegans carter i Mathews. 
West Australia. 
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