NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTHALIAN BIKDS. 221 



175. — Amytis textilis, Quo}' niul Gaimard. — (198) 



GRASS WREN. 



Fi;fM«. —Gould : Birds of Australia, fol , vol. iii., pi. aS. 

 Reference.— Ca.1. Birds Rrit. Mus , vol. vii., p. 107. 

 Previous Description of Eg<;s. — North : Rep. Horn Scientific Exp., p. 81 

 (1896) 



Geof/raphicn! Distrihufinn. — New South Walos, Victoria, South and 

 West Australia. 



Next. — Circular, with entrance in the side; rather loosely constructed 

 of dried grasses. Usually placed at the foot of cane grass on banks of 

 creeks or close to tussocks of grass (Keartland). 



Eijijx. — Clutch, two to throe ; round oval in form ; texture of shell fine ; 

 surface glossy ; colom-, pinkish-white, spotted boldly all over, but particu- 

 larly on the apex, with pinkish-rod and pui-plc. Usually darker in colour 

 than those of A. sfrinta. Dimensions in inches of proper clutches: 

 A (1) -79 X -,58. (2) -77 x -59 : B (\) -77 x -6, (1) -76 > -fi (Plate 10.) 



Ohservafinnx. — This somewhat obscure interior species would appear to 

 inhabit country similar to that where the Striated Grass Wren is found, 

 but whose habitat sti'etches across to Western Australia. Gould, who 

 records having met the Textile Grass Wren on the Lower Namoi, New 

 South Wales, was very much impressed with the laird's curious locomotion 

 and its " exceedingly droll appearance " when seen hopping over the 

 ground. 



Indirectly, through the Horn Expedition to Central Australia, the 

 eggs became known to science, and are now rare items in one or two 

 collections. TIic following j-ear, eggs of the Textile Grass Wren were for- 

 warded to Mr. G. A. Keartland, who accompanied the expedition as 

 ornithologist, bv Mr. C. E. Cowlo, who found a nest during Febniary, 189,5. 

 and who forwarded a sldn of the female shot at the nest. 



In the Horn Expedition " Report," Mr. Keartland writes : — " Just as 

 A. xtrintn is confined to the poi'cupine gi'ass, so A. teTtilia is limited to the 

 rocky gorges and sides of the ranges, where they appear in companies of 

 six or seven in niunber. hopping or running like mice, with tail erect." 



Again, Mr. Keartland, with a subsequent exploring expedition 

 (Calvert's), conceniing this truly desert species, states: — "Amongst the 

 salt-bush near Lake Way, and also on the samphire flats or sci-ub-covered 

 sand-hills near our camel depot on Brockman Creek, I obtained over a 

 dozen specimens of this bird, and in August secured a pair of yoimg ones 

 unable to fly. I found no variation in colour or structure in either sex 

 or stage, adult or j^oung. They all possessed the same stout bill and 

 fleshy thighs. The sexes could not be distinguished without dissection. 

 These birds keep close to the ground under some dense bu.sh until dis- 

 turbed, when they fly or ran witli great rapidity to the nearest shelter. 



