WEDGE-BILL. 
hair-brown both oil the outer and inner-webs ; upper tail-coverts like the back ; 
middle tail-feathers uniform dark bronze-brown with obsolete cross-bars, becoming 
darker towards the outermost feathers on each side, which are almost black and 
broadly tipped with white — the wliite decreasing in extent towards the centre ones ; 
nasal bristles black ; lores similar to the crown; hinder-face and sides of neck 
dove-grey ; chin and throat white ; breast, abdomen, and sides of body dove-grev, 
somewhat darker and inclining to fawn-colour on the last; short under tail-coverts 
similar to the abdomen, the long ones pale brown tipped with white ; axillaries like 
the breast; under wing-coverts greyish-wliite with dark mottlings ; under-surface 
of flight-quills hair-brown with pale margins ; lower aspect of tail similar to its 
upper-surface. Bill and eyes black, legs and feet dark lead-colour. Total length 
218 mm.; culmen 13, wing 80, tail 99, tarsus 25. Collected at Point Cloates on 
the 2nd of June, 1899. 
Adult female similar to the male. 
Eggs. Two to three eggs form the clutch. A typical clutch of two eggs taken at Oplier Creek, 
near Cunnamulla, South-west Queensland, on the 12th of September, 1898, is of 
a beautiful bluish-green, moderately but boldly spotted with blackish markings, 
scattered here and there. Ovals in shape ; surface of shell smooth and slightly 
glossy. 24 mm. by 17. Another clutch of three eggs taken in the same locality 
measure 23-24 mm. by 16. They are smaller specimens, and more pointed ovais 
in shape than is the case with those of the previous clutch. Surface of shell smooth 
and slightly glossy. 
^est. An open, shallow cup-shaped structure of twigs and grass, and lined with fur and 
grass, etc., and usually placed in a low bush, often within four or five feet of the 
ground. 
Breeding-months. Usually August, September to January. 
This distinct genus (and species) was described by Gould before he went 
to Australia and he does not appear to have met with it himself wdiile out 
there. He apparently heard some tales about it for he wrote: “ The Crested 
Wedge-bill is an inhabitant of the low scrubby trees and Polygonum bushes 
which stud the hot plains of the interior of Australia, particularly those on 
the borders of the Lachlan and Darling ; it has also been killed on the Lower 
Namoi. Whether it has any kind of loud sharp whistle analagous to that 
of the Coach-whip-bird ( PsopJiodes crepitans ), or if it has the same shy dis¬ 
position, it would be interesting to ascertain.” 
Captain S. A. Wliite has written me: “ S. c. cristatum . I take this to 
be the dark coloured form (both are to be found in South Australia). Met 
with this bird in many places along the Flinders Range. It is a very lively 
bird and a beautiful songster. I have found them rather timid, but if they 
think they are not observed they show off their crest and sing to great 
advantage. They are interior birds and I have never seen them in coastal 
areas where there is a big rainfall. Nesting season September and October. 
S. c. pallidum. This is the central Australian form.” 
Of the latter his notes read: “ On the Finke River a pair were calling 
amongst some dead acacias and were very shy; their movements are very 
VOL. XL 49 
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