BLACK-CAPPED TREERUNNER. 
“ Sittella tenuirostris (Gould). I have to report the occurrence of this species 
in Western Australia. Mr. Fred Lawson forwarded to the Perth Museum 
several skins which he procured in the Murchison district. I think it is quite 
distinct from S. pileata and entitled to rank as a subspecies.” 
I also quote here a further note by Milligan : “ Recently, whilst examining 
the skins of our Museum relating to the Certhiidae, I was surprised to find 
three skins of Sittella leucoptera, obtained, as the labels disclosed, at the 
Blackwood River, in the southern portion of Western Australia. As the 
species is regarded as a purely tropical form, I, from motives of abundant 
caution, determined to await the return of Mr. J. T. Tunney (who collected 
them) from Northern Australia, and receive confirmation of the notes on the 
label before publishing the record. Mr. Tunney, having now returned, confirms 
the notes.” 
Ashby has recently written: “ Black-capped Treerunner. Found on 
the sand plains at Watheroo. They are slightly lighter in colour than South 
Australian specimens, and have considerably less white on the head and under¬ 
side than is the case with a skin from Lake Austin, West Australia, that 
is labelled N. tenuirostris (Slender-billed Treerunner); but age might account 
for the difference. There is no material difference in the bills.” 
The bird Milligan determined as S. tenuirostris above I named N. p. 
milligani as hereafter shown, but the Blackwood birds need confirmation by 
further collecting at that region as all the recent records have been of the 
pileata (not leucoptera ) forms, and a mistake in locality seem certain. 
Captain S. A. White wrote me “ N. p. tenuirostris. This is a widely 
distributed bird, being found in the heavy timbered country near the coast, 
open-timbered and grassland country, she-oak country, and over the vast 
interior where mulga scrubs prevail. It is a very lively and active bud, moving 
about in parties from two or three to a dozen or more, descending the trees 
head downwards searching every crevice and hole for insect life, then off to 
another tree, all following the first to fly and uttering a very sharp, quickly 
repeated note while on the wing. Nests in August, September and October, 
building a wonderful nest of cobwebs and soft bark, attaching pieces of bark 
to the outside so cunningly that the nest, which is placed in an upright fork, 
is most difficult to detect.” 
Mr. J. W. Mellor writes : “ This bird is to be found in various parts of 
South Australia and in the interior of the State, and I have seen it on Eyre 
Peninsula, South Australia. It always goes about in small companies of four 
or five; when one flies off, the others invariably fly off after it and follow the 
leader until the next settling place is reached, when all collect again and search 
about the bushes and trees for their insect food upon which they solely subsist. 
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