The present bird, which is a native of the northern parts of Australia, is a perfect representative of the _Sittella chrysoptera_ of the south coast, to which species it is most nearly allied. The contrasted style of its plumage, together with the white spot in the wings, sufficiently distinguish it from every other species of the genus yet discovered. It is found in the Cobourg Peninsula, but is nowhere very abundant: it is mostly met with in small families of from four to twelve in number. Its note, actions and general habits are precisely similar to those of the other members of the genus. The sexes differ from each other in the markings of the head; the male has the summit only black, while the female has the whole of the head and ear-coverts of that colour. The male has the forehead, crown of the head and occiput deep black; wings black, with a broad band of white crossing the primaries near the base; tail black, the lateral feathers tipped with white; throat, under surface and upper tail-coverts white; under tail-coverts white, with a spot of black near the tip of each feather; back greyish brown, the centre of each feather streaked with blackish brown; irides ochre-yellow; eyelash straw-yellow; bill straw-yellow, tipped with black; legs and feet lemon-yellow. The Plate represents the two sexes and an immature bird of the natural size. [Illustration: SITTELLA PILEATA: _Gould_. _J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._ ] SITTELLA PILEATA, _Gould_. Black-capped Sittella. _Sittella pileata_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 151, male. —— _melanocephala_, Gould in Ibid., p. 152, female. _Goo-mȁl-be-dite_, Aborigines of Western Australia. This species of _Sittella_ inhabits the south-western portion of Australia, and enjoys a range extending over several degrees of longitude. It is, however, more strictly speaking, one of the species pertaining to the Fauna of Western Australia. I killed several examples during my excursion into the interior of South Australia, and I transcribe from my journal the following notes on the subject:—“I met with a flock of these birds on the hills near the source of the River Torrens, about forty miles northward of Adelaide: they were about thirty in number and were extremely shy, keeping on the topmost branches of the trees, and the whole company flying from tree to tree so quickly, that I and my companion were kept at a full run to get shots at them.” The following is from Mr. Gilbert’s notes made in Western Australia:— “An extremely active bird, running up and down the trunks and branches of the trees with the utmost rapidity, always in families of from ten to twenty in number. It utters a weak piping note while on the wing, and occasionally while running up and down the trees. Its flight, which is generally performed in rather rapid undulating starts, is of short duration.”