84 CLELAND-Birtds between and .

Birds seen between Oodnadatta and Alice Springs. By J. Burton Cleland, M.D. During the .recent anthropological expedition to Oodnadatta and Alice Springs under the auspices of the University Board of Anthropology and with Dr. T. D. Campbell as organizer and leader, an opportunity was taken to note the species of birds met with and their numerical abundance. A few skins were also obtained. The e~pedition, on arrival at Oodnadatta on Friday, 31st December, spent the first week on Ross's Waterhole, on the Macumba, about 30 miles from this railway town, througli the courtesy of Mr. Kempe, Manager of . A, CLELAND-Birds between Oodnadatta and Alice Springs. 85

few species were noted here during the short time which was not taken up in anthropological work. The heat was very gr.eat, reaching up to 111 deg. Fahr. in the shade, and during the first fifteen days of January, 1927, averaged at Charlotte \Vaters 105 deg.-Fahr. Thereafter the weather became cooler, with a · little rain. The country throughout was very dry, and water­ holes remained in only a few favoured or sheltered spots. On 7th Jan.uary a start was made by motor-lorry for Alice Springs~ which was reached on the third day. Two minor excursions were made from here. Geopsittacus occidental1's, the Night Parrot, had been seen unquestionably by one of Mr. Kempe's hands a few months previous to our visit in "spinifex n (T1·iodia) country near the. station. We heard that several pairs; four or five at least, of young birds of the Princess Alexandra Parrots (Polytelis alexandme) · had been secured this season in South Australian country about 100 miles west of Oodnadatta, and sold at £5 to £10 a pair. An old bird is captive at Oodnadatta. Mr. Jim Smith also informed us that two birds had been seen recently at 1\llt. Irvine, 100 miles west of Hamilton Bore. We found Cracticus nigrogularis, the Pied Butcher-Birdl locally known as the Jackaroo, a common bird on the Macumba, near Oodnadatta, and thence u,p to Alice Springs. It is protected on account of its rich song. At Charlotte Waters, just within the we were given the decomposing carcass of Gelochelidon nilotica, the Gull-billed Tern, which had been found exhausted in a tank. This was ,placed in the spirit-tank, and the taxidermists at the .s.A. J\tluseum have made quite a presentable skin of the bird. , At Ross's Waterhole, on the , the· following birds were noted :-Geopelia cuneata (6), Ocyphaps (5), Stone Plover (heard), Chamd1-i11s melanops, Avocets (3), Teal (3), Eagles, small dark Hawk, Ringneck Parrots, Galahs, Cockatoo Parrots, Budgerygahs, 1\Jferops (a ftocld, Willie-Wagtail (1), Coracina novae-ho.llandiae (2), Gmllina, Pardalotus sp., lvieli­ phaga penicillata (leilavalensis), ilt/yzantha flavigula, Chestnut­ eared Finches (200), Cr.acticus nigrogttlaris (se:veral). At Alice Springs the following were seen, the Honeyeaters feeding in the early morning on the flowers of a coral-tree

(Erythrina ves1pe1·tilio) beside our camp :-1vieliphaga penicillata (leilavalensis), 1viyza.ntha flavigula, and Acanthagenys rufogularis (about 20 of each at a time), with occasional examples of M eli­ phaga virescens and another 1\1eliphaga noted (by field-glasses) -as having grey on the head and round the eye, a yellow patch, and the breast feathers somewhat streaked. This descriptio~ suggests Keartland's Honeyenter, which Captain S. A. White in Mathews's " ~irds of P records for the Ma!}Donnell Ranges, and also the Everard and Musgrave Rang~~>· An occasional Ringneck Parrot also visited the Erythn'na. At Alice Springs were also noted Cockatoo Parrbts, Halcyon py1-rhfJ.pygius, M erops, Coracina novae-hollandiiw, Rhipidura .leucophrys, Grallind., &nd Ant1ms. The u~ual custorr. has qeen f9How~~ of diviiling th!'l dist~~ces cpverecl 'into 11 j~urneys," which are numb.~re.cl. · illfder 13ach Spe~ies is given the 'numQer of individuals ~eon On tl}e. Vt~TiOUS ··:-:::·--nvs, thus·{Journey 3) 1, (G) 1, etc. If a'~neci~~ i~ ;f~d!31Y distributed, the numbers of the birds are gh'rn f'pr the 14 "jolJ.rileys " consecutive!~. · ·· ' ·

1. Oodnadatta to Macumba Station, 24·mi1es, afternoon, 1/1/27. hot,' ()'species, 66 oirds...... • . . . ,, .. 2. Mac.umba Station to ~oss's Waterhole, 12 miles, morning, • !l!l127, hot, 9. species, 91 birds. · · · · 3. O~d~~Cla~ta to :13iooq's ¢reek, 101 milfls, 7/!f27, hot, 19 spec1es, 315 birds. · 4. Blood's Creek to New Crown Point, 50 miles, 8/1/27, hot, 17 ' species, 214 hirds. 5. New Crmvn .Point to Horseshoe Bend, 52 miles, 8/1/27, hot, 8 §Jpepip~, Q8 birds. · · · · G. Horseshoe ~end to l\~ary Yale Station, 65 miles, 9/1/27-, hot, ~3 ~P!:1~ies, 271 birds. 7. Mary Vale Stati~m tq Alice Springs, 72 miles, 9./1/27, ho.t. l8 spepies, l5l birds. · 8. Return, Alice Springs to .first crossing of Finke, including deviation of 4 + 4 miles to Ooraminntt W aterhole, 100 miles, 14/i/2?, T. W8 d~g., 30 species, 635 ·~ird(l. ·' ' · ~- Return, fiy!3 ~mles north of Horsesho!3 B!3nd to ~lood's Creel~, 11~ miles, 15,/1/27, T. 108 deg., 20 species, 1~P ~irds. LO. Return, Blood's Creek to Oodnadatta, 1Q2 m1les, 1\)/1/27, cqqler, very· windy f~qm HamiltoJ?- ~ore, 9qoli~h a~d ~aii1 tor last 2d miles, 14 species, 300 bird~. Ll. Alice Springs to 'Undoolya, 11 miles, morning, 12/V27, mild, f1 §ip,ecie~, 71 pirds. L~. Ret11rn, morning, 12 species, 153 birds. · ~~· }\.lice Spri:qgs to Simpson's Gap, 1i rp.il~s, afternoop, 14/1/27, hot, l& sp,ecie1?, lOp bird~. l1. Return, after.nppn, 13 sp,e9ies, 107 birqs. Total, 73& miles, 3,Q04 birds. 1. 'Drowaius novae-hollandiae.-(9) 6-a he:q-qird and five :half-grown chicks. Total, 6. OLELAND-Birds between Oodnadatta and Alice Springs. 87

15. Geopelia cuneata.-(2) 10, (4) 5, (6) 1, (8) 1, (10) 1. Total, 18. 19. Lophophaps plumifem.-(6) 10. Total, 10. A single flock of ten was seen. 20. Ocyphaps lophotes.-(3) 3, (4) 22, (7) 3, (8) 7, (10) 2:. tl2) 6. Total, 43. 85. Charadrius rnelanops.-Ross's Waterhole, on the Macumba .. Hamilton Bore-(3) 5, (12) 1. Total, 6. · 86. Peltohyas australis.-(3) 3; (4) 6. Total, 9. Two birds were secured north of Blood's Creek, on 8th January r one a ~ , the other sex undetermined-iris very dark brown, bill dark greyish black, paler at the base, pharynx greyish flesh, legs pale huffy white. Total lengths­ ~ , 8~ in.; other bird, St in.; span of wings 17 in. and 18-!­ in. respectively. 89. Recurvirostra novae-hollandiae.-Several birds visited Ross's Waterhole, Macumba River. iS, iris reddish­ brown, browner near the pupil, bill black, legs steel . bluish-grey; cestodes present. 106. Eupodotis australis.-(8) 1. Total, 1. South of Deep Well, N.T., 15th January, sex not noted, iris pallid whitish with a rim of brownish inside, bill and legs pallid whitish. 115. N otophoyx pac'ifica.-One bird seen at Hamilton Bore. TeaL-Several Teal visited Ross's W aterhole. 141. U1'0aetus audax.-(3) 1, (6) 1, (8) 6, (10) 1, (12) 1, (13) 2. Total, 12. . 154. Falco be1·igora.-(6) 2, (7) 2, (8) 2, (9) 1, (10) I, (12) 1, (13) 2, (14) 1. Total, 12. 155. Falco cenchroides.-(2) 1, (3) 6, (4) 1, (6) 1, (7) 4, (8) 1, (10) 1. Total, 15. . Hawks, not iclentified.-(2) 2, (6) 5, (9) 3, (10) 2. Total 12. . ' 165. Calypto1·hyncht1s banksi.-(6) 78, (7) 20, (8) 10, (11) 20, (13) 5. Total, 143. 173. J(alcatoe roseicapilla.-(1) 15, (3) 83, (8) 2, (9) 2, (10) 20. Total, 122. 174. Leptolo,plms hollandicus.-(4) 24, (6) 6, (9) 56, (10) 100,. (12) 100. Total, 286. 183. Bamw·ditts zmwrius.-(3) I, (6) 13, (7) 2, (8) 30 (9) 12, (12) 6, (13) 8, tl4) 13. Total, 85. (See1 urvler· Psephotus varitts.) . 185. Psephotus varius.-Probably some of the birds listed undel" Barnardius zonarius were really this species. 194. Melop11ittacus ·unchtlatus.-(3) 24, (4) 6, (8) 12, (9) 8~ Totn.l, 50. 88 GLELAND-Birds between Oodnadatta and Alice Springs.

202. Halcyon pyrrhopygius.-(8) 1, (9) 2. Total, 3. 204. Merops ornatus.-(6) 5. Total, 5. . 215. Cheramoeca leucosterna.. -(6) 2, (8) 1, (9) 4. Total, 7. 217. H ylo.chelidon ariel.-(9) 1, (11) 1. , Total, 2. Old nesh:; seen at Macumba and Horseshoe Bend. 219. Rhipidura le'U_cophrys.-At Hamilton Bore. (6) 5, (7) 2, (8) 7, (10) 2, (13) 2, (14) 2. Total, 20. 226. Melanodryas cucullata.-(7) 4, (8) 3. Total, 7. • 236. Grallina cyanoleuca..- -, 2, 15, 1, -, -, 3, 7, 4, 1, 1, 2, 5, 4: Total, 45. 241. Coracina rnovae-lzollandia.e.-(4) 1, (8) 2, (9) 2, (10) .1, (13) 1. Total, 7. 246. Cinclosoma cinnamomeum.-(1) 4, (4) 1, (6) 3, (8) 2. Total, 10. Macumba, near Oodnadatta, 1st January, ~ (?), iris dark brown, bill greyish black, pharynx flesh­ coloured, legs dark-bluish grey, total length 8 in., span of wings 10;j- in. . · ·Pomatostomus.-(6) 9, (7) 6, (8) 14, (13) 2, (14) 2. Total, 33. 253. Epthia.nura t?icolor.-(8) 5, (12) 2? Total, 7. Aphelocephala?-(4) 1, (5) 3, (9) 4. Total, 8. Acanthiza (?) .-(2) 2. Total, 2. 272. Acanthiza chrysorrhoa?-(8) 6, (13j 1. Total, 7. Acarnthiza. (Geobasileus) ?-(5) 1, (6) 4 (?) Total, 5. 291. Acrocephalus australis.-Hamilton Bore, in the reeds. 298. Malurus cyanoh.ls.-(1) 1, (3). 3, (6) 4, (7) 2, (8) 1. Total, 11. · .. 305. A1·tamus melanops.-(8) 7. Total, 7. 306. A. cyanopterus.-(8) 5, (9) 1, (10) 2. Total, 8. A., not identified, probably mostly A. melanops.-(3) 10, (9) 15, (13) 9, (22) 13, (7) -:-, (5) 4, (2) 1. · Total, 113. Pardalotus.-(3) 1. Tota:l,"l. 330. M eliphaga virescens.---;(13) 1. Total, 1. A number 1ve~e feeding on a coral-tree (E1·ythrina) at Alice Springs. 335. M. keartlandi?.-With M. virescens at Alice Springs. 338 . .M. penicillata (leilavalensis) .- -, -, 2, 2, 3, 10, 1, 5, 11, 1,· -, -, 2, -. Total, 37. ·. · jvf., not identified.-(4) 1, (5) 1, (7) 1, (8) 6, (9) 1, (11) 1,

. (1;3) 3., (14.) 4. Total1 18. - . - 3.42. Myzantha fiavigula.- -: -. 16, 3, 15, 2, 2, 22, 13, --. · 2, 2. 43, 14. Total, 134. Numerous round the corul­ . tree at Alice Springs . .346. Acanthagenys ru.fogularis.-Probably some of the figures under M yzantha. should refer to this species. N um~.;rous round the coral-tree flowers at Alice Springs. 89

34;9. Anthm amtralis.-2, 4. 20, 7, 3, 14, 4, 13, 7, ·--. 6, -. 3,,14. Total,-97. 353. Taen.iopygia castanotis.-15, 20. 52, 55,-, 6, 8, 280, 661 131. 2, 27. -, -. Total, 662 .. Crows.-19, 39. 60, 54, 41, 52, 46, 115, 178, 32. 32, 18. 3, 6. Total, 695.

360. Corvm bennetti.-Bloog.'s Creek, 16th January, ~ 1 upper part of iris whitish, passing intq dark brown, bill. and legs black, pharynx flesh-coloured, total length 1St m., span of wings 35-! in.; i3 , trace of whitish in upper part of iris externally, pill and legs black, pharynx flesh -coloured, total length 18 in., span of wings 36t in. 366. Cracticm nigrogularn.-:-(4) 2, (7) 8, (8) 1, (9) 1, (12) 4, (13) 5, (14) 6. Total, 27. Ross's·Waterhole, Macumlm River, !i? (immature), iris dark brown, bill dark greyish brown above, paler below, pharynx flesh-coloured, legs greyish-brown, total length 13-t in., span of wings·18t in. 368. Gymnorhina tibicen.-(3) 6, (6) 1, (7) 2, (9) 4, (11) 1, (13) 2. Total,.16. 369. G. hypoleuca.-(6) 2, (14) 2. Total, 4. 11 MagpiesY-(7) 2, (8) 2. Total, 4. Unidentified birds.-7, '1. 6, 7, 18, 26, 7, 45, 22, 2, 6. 12, 11. Total, 170. . Kangaroos.-(10) 2. Total, 3,004 individuals of about 46 species of native birds. No introduced species recorded.