AMYTI8. 



251 



r-p 



Adult male — General colour above chestnut-red, each feather Iiaving a central stripe of white 

 bordered on each side icith black; the rump chestnut-bro/vn, and less distinctly streaked; lesser wing- 

 coverts light rust-red, with narrow ivhite shaft lines; the median and greater wing-coverts broivn, the 

 inner series of the latter indistinctly margined with diill chestnut-red ; quills broirn, tlie base of the 

 primaries rust-red, t/ie innermost secondaries margined wit/i dull rust-red; upper tail-coverts broivn, 

 bordered tvitli dull cliestnut-red, and indistinctly streaked with wldte; tail feathers dark brown, 

 margined tvith pale brown, more broadly on the outermost feathers ; a broad line extending from, the 

 .nostril above the eye light rust colour ; a spot in front and the feathers below the eye vthite; ear- 

 coverts black streaked rvith white down the centre; cheeks and a broad line below the ear-coverts 

 black; chin and throat ivhite; fore-neck and upper breast dull ivhite rvith narrotv dusky-brown 

 streaks on each side of the feathers, giving tliese parts a distinctly streaked appearance : centre of the 

 breast and abdomen pale yellowish-buff ; a few feathers on the sides of the breast light chestn.ut-red, 

 mesially streaked with white; ffanks and thighs brown; under tail-coverts dark brown margined 



with white at the tips, and having indistinct buff shaft- 

 streaks. Total length 68 inches, iving 2'-^, tail S-o, bill 

 O-J/., tarsus 0-95. 



Adult female — Similar in jdumage to t/ie male. 

 Distribntio7i. — New South \Vales, Victoria, South 

 Australia, Central Australia, Western Australia, North- 

 western Australia. 



I^HE range of the present species extends from 

 east to west right across the central portion 

 of the Australian continent. Gould procured the type 

 on the Lower Namoi Riser, to the north of the 

 Liverpool Plains, in New South Wales; and the late 

 Mr. K. H. Bennett obtained specimens, also the nest 

 and eggs, in the mallee scrubs and porcupine-grass 

 areas in the Mossgiel District of the same State. Mr. 

 C. French, Junr., sent me a rough skin for identifica- 

 tion that was obtained by Mr. C. McLellan, on Pine 

 Plains Station, in the Wimmera District of \'ictoria in 

 1902. It was met with by the members of the Horn 

 Scientific Expedition in Central Australia, in 1894, at Idracowra and Alice Well; and again, 

 while a member of the Calvert Exploring Expedition in Western Australia, in 1896, Mr. G. A. 

 Keartland and his companions obtained specimens, also nests and eggs, during their journey, 

 but they were abandoned with the remainder of the collection at Johanna Springs, North- 

 western Australia. Mr. Tom Carter also sent me a skin for examination from Point Cloates, 

 and informed me that this species inhabited high stony spinifex ridges above the ranges, and 

 he had seen fledgings on the 21st May, 1900. 



Mr. G. A. Keartland, who met with this species both in Central and Western Australia, 

 writes me as follows: — "Ainytis striata is confined almost exclusively to spinifex country, 

 hence it is frequently termed the 'Spinifex Wren,' It is the most wary and shy bird I 

 have met with. Occasionally one may be observed at early morning or at sunset, perched on 

 .a low bush or spinifex tussock, giving forth a very nice song, but immediately it notices an 

 intruder, it jumps to the ground and runs to the nearest shelter. During the journey across 

 the Great Desert of North-western Australia by the Calvert Exploring Expedition, many of 

 their nests were found which would have been passed had not the bird hopped off its eggs as we 

 approached. The nest was made of soft strippings of old grass, with a large opening at the 

 side. Two white eggs, sparingly dotted with bran-like markings, constitute the usual clutch." 



BLACK-CHEEKKD GRASS-WREN. 



