282 TISIELIID^E. 



from which it is distinguished by its smaller size, the absence of the buff colouring on the 

 rump, and it also lacks the pale buff bases to all the tail feathers, as described by Gould in his 

 "Handbook to the Birds of Australia." 



Acaitthiza tcnuirostris does bear a strong resemblance to Gcohasilciis rcgidoides, as pointed out 

 by Mr. Zietz, that is in colour, but it is unquestionably a good and distinct species, not a small 

 form of G. reguloides, nor has it any other near ally. It may be distinguished from all other 

 species of Acanthiza by its almost uniform-coloured tail, pronouncedly light upper tail-coverts, 

 and its small slender bill, which is comparatively narrow at the base, and has a tendency to 

 recurvature. As I premised at the time, the nest when found would be built in a similar 

 position to that of the typical Acanthizae, and not placed like that of Gcohasileus reguloides. 



During a trip made by Dr. A. M. Morgan and Dr. A. Chenery from Port .\ugusta to the 

 Gawler Ranges in South Australia, an adult male was obtained on the i6th August, igoa. 

 Relative to this specimen. Dr. Morgan writes: — "A male oi Acanthiza tenuirostris was shot in a 

 salt-bush near Mount Ive Government tank. This is a salt-bush bird, and is e-Kceedingly shy. 

 Dr. Chenery took about twenty minutes stalking to procure the specimen. It dodged about in 

 the salt-bush cis if it were quite at home. There were no trees in the vicinity." 



Writing recently, Mr. ;\. Zietz remarks: — "I have received here for examination from the 

 Perth ^Museum, an adult male of Acanthiza tcnuirostris, procured at Day Dawn, Western 

 Australia, on the i5tli May, 1903." 



By direction of the Curator of the Perth Museum, Mr. Bernard Woodward, F.G.S., 1 have 

 received from Mr. C. P. Conigrave, a photograph taken by him of a nest oi Acanthiza tciuiirostris 

 in that institution. It is a small domed structure, with a rounded entrance in the side, and is 

 built in the lower leafy portion of a forked branch of a samphire bush. This nest, which 

 contained young birds, was taken by Mr. C. F. Lawson, on the ist August, 1903, at Day 

 Dawn, a mining township on the Murchison goldfield, about four miles south-west of Cue, 

 Western Australia. Up to the present the eggs of this species have not apparently been taken, 

 but doubtless they will be found to closely resemble those of the smaller members of the genus 

 Acanthiza. 



OeniJLS 0-EOB.<f^SI3LiE"CrS, Cahanis. 



Geobasileus chrysorrhous. 



YELLUW-KUMPED TIIOKX-IULL. 

 Saxicola chrysorrhna, Quoy et Gaim., Voy. de I'Astrol , Zool., Tom. 1 , p. 196, Atlas, pi. 10, fig. 2 



(1830). 

 Acanthiza chrysorrhcp.a, Gould, Bds. Austr., fol., Vol. III., pl. G^i (IS-IS). 

 Geobasileus chrysorrhous, Gould, Handbk. Bds. Austr., Vol. I., p. 374 (1865). 



Acanthiza chrysorrhoa, Sharpe, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., Vol. VII., p. 298 (1883); id., Iland-l. Bds., 

 Vol. IV., p. 220(1903). 

 Adult male — General colour above brown, washed with olive-yellow; upper wi7ig-coverts like the 

 back, and having dusky brown centres; quills dark brown, the primaries narrowly edged externally 

 with ashyivhite, and the secondaries margined with olive-brown; rump and upper tail-coverts bright 

 yellow; tail feathers yelloio at the base, blackish-broivn on their apical half, with pale broivn tips 

 passing into white on the ends of the inner webs; forehead blackish, each feather having a spot of 

 white at the tip; a narrow frontal line, lores, and a distinct eyebrow whitish; a small spot in front 

 and another hehind the eye blackish-brown ; ear-coverts dull winte narroivly edged with dark brown; 

 chin and upper throat white; remainder of the under surface yellowish-white slightly tinged with 

 buff, which is more pronounced on the sides of the body; under tail-coverts pale yellow; bill black; 



