Part 6

This bird inhabits reed-beds and thickets, particularly such as are overgrown with creepers and rank vegetation; I believe it to be found throughout New South Wales in all places suitable to its habits, although, from the recluse nature of its disposition, it is a species familiar to few, even of those who have been long resident in the colony. I killed it at Illawarra, and other specimens were presented to me by Mr. Stephen Coxen, which had been shot by him in New England, an extensive district to the eastward of the Liverpool Plains. Its powers of flight are very limited, but it threads the thickets and runs over the ground with the greatest facility. It resembles the true _Maluri_ carrying the tail erect, as also in many other of its actions. I had no opportunity of ascertaining whether or not it be migratory; but my own impression is that it is stationary, since its powers of flight are inadequate to enable it to pass over much extent of country, and the thick brushes near the coast afford it ample shelter in winter.

I did not succeed in finding its nest, but in its nidification it doubtless closely assimilates to the Long-billed Bristle-bird of the western coast.

The sexes present no difference in plumage and but little in size; the female is, however, rather the least.

The food consists of insects of various orders.

All the upper surface brown; wings, tail-coverts and tail rufous brown, the latter indistinctly barred with a darker tint; under surface grey, gradually passing into the brown of the upper surface; over the eye an indistinct buffy stripe; irides brown; bill brown, becoming much lighter on the lower mandible; legs greyish brown.

The Plate represents a male of the natural size.

DASYORNIS LONGIROSTRIS, _Gould_. Long-billed Bristle-bird.

_Dasyornis longirostris_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p. 170.

_Djyr-dal-ya_, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia.

The present species assimilates very closely in the character and colouring of its plumage to its eastern analogue, the _Dasyornis Australis_; but differs from that bird in being of a smaller size and in having a longer bill. It is a native of Western Australia, and is very generally distributed over the colony of Swan River, where it inhabits reed-beds and long grasses, and is occasionally seen in scrubby places. “It is so remarkably shy,” says Mr. Gilbert, “that it is extremely difficult to get even a glimpse of it: from the little I could observe of the bird in a state of nature, it appeared to me to feed on the ground, where its actions are extremely quick, running over the surface with its tail erect, very like the _Maluri_; but when perched the tail is either carried horizontally, or hanging down. The only time when it can be seen with a chance of procuring specimens, is when it ascends to a small branch or the top of a scrub to sing. Its notes are extremely varied, some being very loud and clear, and so much lengthened as to approach a song; but no two birds sing alike.

“Its flight is extremely heavy and very low; in fact the bird appears incapable of rising more than a few yards above the scrub or long grass it inhabits; it is consequently very rarely seen on a tree.

“The nest is formed of dry wiry grass without any lining, more globular than those of the _Maluri_, but, like them, with an opening in the side; it is of rather a large size, and the only one I met with was built in a clump of coarse grass, sheltered by an overhanging dead bush, at about seven inches from the ground. It contained two eggs, the ground-colour of which is dull brownish white, blotched and freckled with purplish brown, some of the blotches appearing as if beneath the surface, particularly at the larger end, where they are most numerous.

“The stomach is thick and muscular, and its food consists of seeds and insects.”

The sexes so closely resemble each other, that a representation and description of one will suffice for both.

All the upper surface brown; wings, tail-coverts and tail rufous brown, the latter indistinctly barred with a darker tint; under surface grey, gradually passing into the brown of the upper surface; irides bright reddish brown; upper mandible brown, lower mandible bluish green at the tip and greenish white at the base; legs bluish grey.

The Plate represents a male and female of the natural size.

ATRICHIA CLAMOSA, _Gould_. Noisy Brush-bird.

_Atrichia clamosa_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., January 9, 1844.

Few of the novelties received from Australia are more interesting than the species to which I have given the generic name of _Atrichia_. It is one of the discoveries made by Mr. Gilbert, who met with it among the dense scrubs of Western Australia, and who had his attention attracted to it by its peculiar and noisy note long before he had an opportunity of observing it; and it was only after many days of patient and motionless watching among the scrubs that he succeeded in obtaining specimens, and these unfortunately were shot at so short a distance from his gun that they were all much mutilated. Future research will doubtless furnish us with some highly interesting information respecting the economy and history of this curious form, which is evidently destined to tenant the most dense thickets and tangled beds of dwarf trees, and consequently, from its recluse habits, rarely to meet the gaze of civilized man.

The examples forwarded to me by Mr. Gilbert were killed between Perth and Augusta in Western Australia, and were all males. The females will doubtless, when discovered, prove to differ but little from their mates, except that the black mark on the breast will not be so large or conspicuous. I am led to offer this opinion from the circumstance of one of the specimens sent being a young male, which usually resembles the female during the first year, and in which this mark is less conspicuous than in the others.

All the upper surface, wings and tail brown, each feather crossed by several obscure crescent-shaped bars of brown; the inner webs of the primaries very dark brown, without markings, and the tail freckled instead of barred; throat and chest reddish white, with a large irregular patch of black on the lower part of the throat; flanks brown; abdomen and under tail-coverts rufous; bill horn-colour; irides dark brown.

The figures are of the natural size.

SPHENŒACUS GALACTOTES. Tawny Sphenœacus.

_Malurus galactotes_, Temm. Pl. Col., 65.

_Megalurus galactotes_, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 228.

This is a scarce species in New South Wales, the few individuals I have seen being-from the grassy districts of the Liverpool Plains; in all probability, however, it ranges along the eastern and over the whole of the northern portion of Australia. Mr. Gilbert’s notes inform me that he found it “tolerably abundant on the islands at the head of Van Diemen’s Gulf, where it inhabits the long grass or rushes growing in or adjacent to the swamps; it is so shy that it is very rarely seen; when closely hunted it takes wing, but flying appears to be a difficult action at all times; at least I have never seen it sustain a flight of more than a hundred yards at the utmost, and even in that short distance it seemed ready to sink into the grass with fatigue. The only note I have heard it emit is a harsh and rapidly repeated _chutch_. The stomachs of those I dissected were extremely muscular, and contained the remains of insects of various kinds and what appeared to be vegetable fibres.”

General plumage pale brown, deepening into rufous on the crown of the head and fading into dull white on the throat and centre of the abdomen; all the feathers of the upper surface with blackish brown centres; secondaries blackish brown, broadly margined with pale brown; tail pale brown, crossed with indistinct bars of a darker tint; irides light brown; upper mandible olive-brown, the cutting edges light yellowish white; lower mandible bluish white; tarsi and feet light reddish flesh-colour.

The figures are of the natural size.

SPHENŒACUS GRAMINEUS, _Gould_. Grass-loving Sphenœacus.

_Sphenœacus gramineus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XIII. p. 19.

Although the present species is very generally dispersed over the whole of the southern portions of Australia and Van Diemen’s Land in all situations suitable to its habits, it is as little known to the colonists as if it were not in existence, which is readily accounted for by its recluse nature and the localities it frequents, the thick beds of grasses, rushes and other kinds of herbage growing in low, damp and wet places on the mainland, and on such islands as those of Green and Actæeon in D’Entrecasteaux’ Channel, being its favourite places of resort. As may be supposed, it is a very shy species, and will almost allow itself to be trodden upon before it will quit the place of its concealment; in the open grassy beds of the flats it is more easily driven from its retreat, but even then it merely flies a few yards and then pitches again among the herbage. It would be very interesting to know whether the habits above described accord with those of the other members of the genus _Sphenœacus_, in which, with the concurrence of Mr. Strickland, who instituted it, I have placed the present bird.

Its song consists of four or five plaintively uttered notes, repeated five or six times in succession.

The nest is generally a very compact structure, and in Western Australia is formed of the soft tops of the flowering part of the reeds, and the thin skin-like coating of the reed-stalks, but occasionally of fine swamp-grasses, always lined with feathers; in some instances two large feathers are made to meet over the opening, which is near the top of the nest, and thus protects the inside from cold or rain: it is attached to two or three upright reeds about two feet from the surface of the water. The eggs, which are laid during the months of August and September, are four in number, nearly eight lines long and six lines broad; they are of a fleshy white, freckled and streaked all over, particularly at the larger end, with purplish red; in some instances large obscure blotches of reddish grey appear as beneath the surface of the shell.

The sexes present no difference in size or colour, and there is scarcely any variation in specimens from Van Diemen’s Land, Swan River and New South Wales.

Stripe over the eye white; all the upper surface brown, the centre of the feathers being dark brown; secondaries brownish black, margined with buff; tail pale reddish brown, with dark brown shafts; under surface grey, passing into black on the flanks and vent; each feather of the breast with a very minute line of dark brown down the centre; bill and tarsi fleshy brown.

The figures are of the natural size.

ACROCEPHALUS AUSTRALIS, _Gould_. Reed Warbler.

_Reed Warbler_, Lewin, Birds of New Holland, pl. 18.

This bird does not inhabit Van Diemen’s Land, but is universally dispersed among the sedgy sides of rivers and lagoons, both in South Australia and New South Wales; I also observed it in great abundance on the banks of all the rivers to the northward of Liverpool Plains in all these localities; it is strictly migratory, arriving in September and departing again before the commencement of winter. In its general economy it closely resembles its European congeners, but possesses a still louder and more melodious song, which it is continually pouring forth and which tends much to enliven the monotony of the parts frequented by it. It is rather a late breeder, scarcely ever beginning this natural duty before the month of November. The nest, like that of the Reed Warbler of Europe, is suspended from two or three reeds at about two feet above the surface of the water, and is composed of the soft skins of reeds and dried rushes. The eggs, which are four in number, ten lines long by seven lines broad, are of a greyish white, thickly marked all over with irregular blotches and markings of yellowish brown, umber brown and bluish grey, intermingled together without any appearance of order or arrangement.

The food consists of insects of various kinds.

The sexes are so precisely alike that dissection must be resorted to to distinguish them.

All the upper surface olive-brown; wings and tail brown, margined with olive-brown; all the under surface tawny or deep buff, fading into white on the throat; under mandible fleshy white, remainder of the bill and the legs olive horn-colour; irides brown.

The figure is of the natural size.

ACROCEPHALUS LONGIROSTRIS, _Gould_. Long-billed Sedge-Warbler.

_Calamoherpe longirostris_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XIII. p. 20.

_Gooȑ-jee-gooȑ-jee_, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia.

The present bird, which I have designated _longirostris_, is the largest of the two species of _Acrocephalus_ known to inhabit Australia.

It is a native of the western portion of the country, where I learn from Mr. Gilbert’s notes that “it is to be found in all the dense reed-beds bordering the river and lakes around Perth, but is so shy, particularly the female, that it scarcely ever shows itself above the reeds. I have remarked also that it never wanders many yards from the nest, which is placed on four or five upright reeds growing in the water at about two feet from the surface. It is of a deep cup-shaped form, and is composed of the soft skins of reeds and dried rushes. The breeding-season comprises the months of August and September. The eggs are four in number, of a dull greenish white, blotched all over, but particularly at the larger end, with large and small irregularly shaped patches of olive, some being darker than the others, the lighter-coloured ones appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell; they are three-quarters of an inch in length by five-eighths of an inch in breadth.

“It is almost always singing both night and day, and its song is more beautiful and melodious than that of any other Australian bird with which I am acquainted; being in many parts very like and certainly not inferior to that of the far-famed Nightingale of Europe.

“The stomach is tolerably muscular, and the food consists of coleopterous and other kinds of insects.”

Faint line over the eye fawn-colour; all the upper surface reddish brown, becoming more rufous on the upper tail-coverts; primaries and tail deep brown, fringed with rufous; chin whitish; all the under surface deep fawn-colour; irides yellowish brown.

The figures are of the natural size.

HYLACOLA PYRRHOPYGIA. Red-rumped Wren.

_Acanthiza pyrrhopygia_, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 227.

In some parts of its economy this bird closely resembles the _Maluri_ particularly in the upright position in which it carries its tail, in the quick hopping motion with which it passes over the surface of the ground, and the agility with which it trips along the horizontal branches of the fallen trees. The situations most favourable to its habits are open sterile spots, here and there studded with clumps of brushes or dense herbage. The beds and sides of creeks, as well as the crowns of stony hills, wherever they are scrubby, are also situations favourable to its habits. I have always observed it either in pairs or in small companies, probably the brood of a single pair, whose young accompany them throughout the autumn like the _Maluri_.

Its song, which is by no means disagreeable, is poured forth while the bird is perched upon some conspicuous part of a bush, or some little spray among the branches of the large fallen trees, where it loves to dwell, as on the approach of an intruder it can readily and effectually secrete itself among the high grass and herbage which have grown up amidst the branches. The facility with which it creeps among or threads these little thickets is surprising. It rarely flies, but depends for progression more upon the rapidity with which it can pass over the ground, than upon the feeble powers of its small rounded wing.

This species may be regarded as a bird whose natural habitat is the interior rather than the country near the coast; for although it does occur in some districts of New South Wales on the sea side of the dividing range, it is much more abundant on the northern or interior side in all situations favourable to its existence. I found it on the low bills to the north of the Liverpool Plains, as well as in most parts of South Australia; I believe it is a stationary bird, as it appeared to be equally numerous in summer and winter.

Of its nidification I have nothing to communicate, its nest not having been discovered either by myself or by any of my party.

Its food consists of insects of various kinds, and like many insectivorous birds, I believe it seldom if ever drinks, not even during the greatest droughts.

The sexes present no visible difference in their plumage.

Crown of the head, all the upper surface, wings and tail brown; lower part of the rump and upper tail-coverts chestnut-red; all but the two centre tail-feathers crossed near the tip with a broad band of black, beyond which the tips are greyish white; line over the eye and all the under surface greyish white, each feather of the latter with a line of black down the centre, except on the middle of the abdomen bill dark brown; irides buffy white; legs flesh-brown.

The figures are of the natural size.

HYLACOLA CAUTA, _Gould_. Cautious Wren.

_Hylacola cauta_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part X. p. 135.

The only locality in which I have seen this species is the great scrub clothing the banks of the river Murray in South Australia, where it was not uncommon, but so excessively shy that I obtained a single specimen only during my stay in the district. Its timidity being so great, and its natural habitat the more dense parts of the scrub, it is a species which must for a long time be exceedingly scarce in our collections. The individual killed was fired at within a few yards of where I stood, it being impossible to sight it at a greater distance.

With the exception of its being even more shy, its whole habits and economy appeared to be very similar to those of the preceding species (_H. pyrrhopygia_). It carries its tail perfectly erect, and hops over the ground and threads the bushes with the greatest alacrity; generally keeping among the more dense parts of the low bushes, and only exposing itself on the outermost twigs when desirous of pouring forth its song, which is sweet and harmonious, and by which its presence is more frequently detected than by any other means.

I could neither find the nest and eggs myself nor obtain any information respecting them; but I have no doubt that when discovered the nest will be found to be of a domed form, with a small hole for an entrance, and the eggs very similar to those of the _Maluri_. In size the _H. cauta_ is rather less than the _H. pyrrhopygia_, has the markings of the under surface much bolder, and the chestnut-coloured mark on the rump of a much deeper tint.

Line from the base of the upper mandible along the side of the face and over the eye white; above this a narrow line of black; crown of the head and all the upper surface brown; upper and under tail-coverts bright chestnut; wing-coverts brown, edged with brownish white; primaries brown, with the outer web white at the base, forming a conspicuous spot in the centre of the wing; tail blackish brown, tipped with white; throat striated with black and white, produced by each feather being black down the centre and fringed with white; flanks mottled brown and white; abdomen white; hill dark brown; irides buffy white; feet flesh-brown.

The figures are of the natural size.

CYSTICOLA MAGNA, _Gould_. _Cysticola campestris_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XIII. p. 20.

I am indebted to the kindness of Hugh E. Strickland, Esq., for the loan of a fine example of this bird for the purpose of figuring in the present work. It is one of the largest species of the group, and hence I have assigned to it the distinctive appellation of _magna_. Nothing whatever is known of its habits and manners, but we may reasonably infer that they are very similar to those of its congeners. The precise locality it inhabits is also unknown; Mr. Strickland having obtained it from a general collection of Australian birds, without the situation in which it had been procured being attached to it.

Head rusty red; back and wing-coverts brownish grey; all the feathers of the upper surface with a broad stripe of dark brown down the centre; wings blackish brown, the primaries margined externally with rusty red and the secondaries edged all round with brownish grey; tail reddish brown, all but the two centre feathers with a large spot of black near the tip; all the under surface pale buff.

The Plate represents the bird of the natural size.

CYSTICOLA EXILIS. Exile Warbler.

_Exile Warbler_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. vii. p. 136.

_Malurus exilis_, Lath. MSS. Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 223.—Less. Man. d’Orn., tom. i. p. 279.

This species appears to have been first noticed by Latham in the seventh volume of his “General History of Birds” under the title of Exile Warbler, and to have been subsequently placed in the genus _Cysticola_ by Messrs. Vigors and Horsfield while engaged in naming the collection of Australian birds in the possession of the Linnean Society. Its natural habitat is New South Wales and South Australia, in both of which colonies I observed it to be abundantly dispersed among the thick beds of grasses which clothe the valleys and open plains. I have never received it from either of the other colonies, all of which, however, are inhabited by nearly allied species. It is very retiring in its habits, generally creeping about among the grasses, and will almost admit of being trodden upon before it will rise and take wing; during the months of spring the male becomes somewhat bolder, and early in the morning will frequently perch on the highest of the grasses and pour forth a pretty but feeble song, resembling that of the _Maluri_. As some confusion existed respecting the sexes of the various species of this genus, I was particular in dissecting all the individuals I shot, and I can therefore state with certainty that the plumage of both sexes of this species is perfectly similar and that the only outward difference between them consists in the female being somewhat smaller than her mate.