_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
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.
[Illustration:
SPHENŒACUS GRAMINEUS: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
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.
[Illustration:
ACROCEPHALUS AUSTRALIS: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
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.
[Illustration:
ACROCEPHALUS LONGIROSTRIS: _Gould_.
_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]
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.
[Illustration: