,24 NESTS AND EGGS OF AVSTKALIAN BIRDS. 



179. — Megalurus gramineus, Gould. — (245) 



GRASS BIRD. 



Figure.— Gou\A: Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii , pi. 36. 



Reference.— Ca-l. Birds Brit Mus., vol vii , p. 125. 



Previous Descriptims of Eggs.— Gould : Birds of Australia (1848), also 



Handbook, vol, i., p. 401 (1865); North: Ausn. Mus. Cat., 



p. 146 (1889). 



Geoc/rapJiiral Distrihtition. — Australia in general and Tasmania. 



^e.H. — Round in shape, with small entrance at top ; somewhat loosely 

 constructed of dead flags and aquatic plants. Some examples are almost 

 entirely composed of the dark flowering or seeding tops of rushes, so 

 cleverly arranged as to meet over and protect the entrance ; inside deep, 

 lined with grass and finally with feathers of wild fowl, one or two of the 

 largest feathers beautifully arching over the opening and liiding the 

 contents. Usually situated in rushes or a bush in a swamp or lagoon, 

 not far above the siu^face of the water. Dimensions over all. 4 to 5 inches : 

 egg cavity, If inches across by 2A inches deep. 



^.W'- — Clutch, three to four ; oval or roundish oval in form ; textiu"e 

 of shell very fine; surface sUghtly glossy; colour, light purplish-pink, some- 

 what boldly sDotted and blotched with purplish-red and drdl purplish-grey. 

 Dimensions in inches of a proper clutch: (I) 'TS x -54, (2) -72 x -53, 

 (3) -71 X -52. (Plate 10.) 



Ohservafionx. — Tlie little Grass Bird is well-named, for it may be 

 flushed from the rank tussock grass covert on various islands off the coast. 

 But its two or three melancholy, sustained, whistle-like notes are more 

 frequentlv heard during breeding season among the sedges, tea-tree in 

 swamps, or in lignum growing in lagoons inland. 



The little bird is found in places congenial to its habits from Queens- 

 land down southward and across to Western Australia, also in Tasmania. 



Although I have observed the little Grass Bird amongst the rough 

 herbage of such places as Breaksea Island, Western Australia, as well as 

 on some of the smaller islands in Bass Strait, there is no evidence of its 

 breeding in such places. Bvit one has to wade through the mazes of 

 murkv swamps, sometimes far inland, to find its wonderfullv constructed 

 nest and pretty pink-spotted contents. 



Tlie first of these trophies I found was vears ago in the tea-tree swamp 

 behind Mr. J. Han-is's nurseries that were in Yaira Street, near South 

 Yarra railway station. The swamp has long since been reclaimed, the 

 nurseries, too, have disappeared ; there only remain to me vivid recol- 

 lections of perambulating through a quagmire, varied with the finding of 

 red-speckled eggs and the occasional flushing of Snipe. Since then niv 

 note book tells me I have taken of the mysterious little Grass Bird : — 



19th October. 1880. — ^Nest with three eggs, in tea-tree swamp. Phillip 

 Island, Victoria. 



