Order PASSERIFORMES. 
Family DICAjIDAj. 
No. 97. 
PARDALOTUS PUNCTATUS. 
(XANTHOPYGTJS.) 
YELLOW-TAILED PARDALOTE. 
(Plate 73.) 
Pardalotus punctatus Mathews, Birds Austr., Vol. XI., pt. in., p. 185, Dec. 27th, 1923 : Partim. 
Pardalotus xanthopygus McCoy, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. m., Vol. XIX., p. 184, March 1st, 1867: 
North-west Victoria ; Campbell, Nests and Eggs Austr. Birds, p. 445, 1901 (nest and eggs). 
Distribution. North-west Victoria. 
Adult male. Feathers of the crown, occiput and nape black ; each feather spotted towards the 
extremity with pure white ; mantle and lower back dark grey, margined with black and with 
a whitish-grey spot near the extremity of each feather ; rump golden-yellow ; upper tail- 
coverts crimson ; wing-coverts black with a round spot of white at the extremity of each 
feather ; primary and secondary quills dark ash-grey, the outermost primary margined on 
the outer web with white ; remainder shining black on the outer web, each feather with a 
round white spot at the tip ; tail-feathers black broadly barred or spotted at the tip with 
white ; lores and a broad eyebrow white ; sides of face, ear-coverts, cheeks and sides of 
neck light grey tipped with white ; chin and throat bright yellow ; chest, breast, abdomen, 
sides of body and flanks light buff ; under tail-coverts orange-yellow ; under wing-coverts 
and axillaries whitish-buff ; quills below, ash-colour with the margins of the inner web 
white. Eyes and bill black ; feet light horn. Total length 90 mm.: culmen 7, wing 57, 
tail 24, tarsus 19. Sunset, North-west Victoria. 
Adult female. Feathers of the crown of the head and occiput dark gre}% each feather margined 
with black and with a large round spot of olive-yellow, succeeded by a greyish-white spot 
towards the extremity ; hind-neck and mantle dark olive-grey, margined with black ; rump 
golden-yellow ; upper tail-coverts crimson, lores and eyebrow creamy-white ; sides of face 
and ear-coverts creamy-white, slightly speckled with dusky ; chin, throat, fore-neck, chest, 
breast and abdomen creamy-white ; under tail-coverts bright orange-yellow ; under wing- 
coverts and axillaries like the chest; quills below grej’, whitish on the margin of the inner 
web. Bill black, feet fleshy, iris stone. Total length 100 mm. : culmen 7, wing 60, tail 28, 
tarsus 19. Gerahmin, Victoria. 
Nest. A mouse-like hole, about one inch in diameter, drilled into the flat, hard surface of the 
ground in an oblique direction for about two feet. At the termination is a cavity thickly 
walled with interwoven strips of soft bark. The nest is perfectly round, about four inches 
in diameter, with the side entrance opposite, and leading directly into the little tunnel. 
Eggs. Clutch four, roundish oval in shape ; texture of shell fine ; pure white with the surface glossy. 
14 to 16 mm. by 12*5 to 13*5. 
Breeding-season. September to November (March, June, July, August). 
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