Page:The Emu volume 21.djvu/261

 the While-winged (M. leuconotus), and no member of the genus was found around Zanthus, despite the closest search. This agrees with my previous experience at my old Boorara camp. It is somewhat puzzling to account for this, as a Red-winged species occurs to the east of Southern Cross (probably the Blue-breasted, M. pulcherrimus) and I procured specimens of M. pulcherrimus at Norseman (Lake Dundas), which is in the longitude of Coolgardie. It is not likely that Lake Dundas marks the eastern limit of this species. Captain White procured the Turquoise Wren-Warbler (M. callainus) at Ooldea. It will be interesting in the future to learn how far east and west the ranges of these two species extend.

M. leuconotus was nesting at Naretha, and I met with empty nests at Haig. The males in nuptial plumage of this species are pretty wary, but during the heavy gales on the plains they preferred to risk my presence within a few feet of their shelter rather than to face the heavy wind.

The only Diamond-Bird or Pardalote I saw was Pardalotus striatus. I watched a female carrying strips of bark into a hole in a salmon gum at Zanthus. It was a very small hole at the entrance, and there was much manœuvring to get extra large strips of bark into the hole, when held crosswise in the bill. I was surprised to see individuals amongst the mistletoe right out on the plains at Haig.

The Short-billed Tree-Tit (Smicrornis brevirostris) was very common in the mallee at Zanthus. Nesting operations were just commencing when I left. I watched two pairs building. Commencement seems to be made at what is to be the back part of the nest; this is added to, on all sides, the final material being used to finish off the entrance. One of these nests was in a drooping branch of a small eucalypt at a height of barely five feet.

Two species of Wood-Swallows were met with, viz., Masked (Artamus personatus), and Black-faced (Artamus cinereus). The latter was far from common. I found a nest with young at Naretha in a small tree, at a height of about 12 feet from the ground. Artamus personatus was breeding at Naretha, but more commonly in the belts of timber near Haig. Some nests were in the stunted trees, others on large salt or blue bushes.

The Allied Flycatcher (Microeca assimilis) was fairly, common around Zanthus, but not seen on the plain. A favourite perching place was the telegraph wires. The White-face I saw was Aphelocephala leucopsis, and that not till I got to Naretha. It was nesting in a variety of situations, and showed its usual fearlessness of man. At Haig it was nesting in thick blue-bushes for the most part. Four eggs seems to be a full clutch. The nests, though very bulky, are far from neat, and have a spout-like entrance. At Naretha some were placed in the lowest forks of dead bushes and without the slightest concealment. The eggs were often imbedded in rabbit fur.