" Birds of a feather." 



Vol. XVIII.] ist OCTOBER, 1918. [Part 2. 



Striated Grass^Wren (Amytornis striata, Gould). 



By a. J. Campbell, C.M.B.O.L'. 



There is possibly sulilicient material in the " H. L. White " and 

 National Colleetions, Melbourne, to enable students to review the 

 geograpliic range and colour variation of this species. 



The dullest (hazel) phase appears to be the extreme eastern 

 birds — Mallee (Victoria) and New South Wales (type locality) — 

 while the richer-coloured (bright auburn or Sanford's brown) 

 phase extends northward and through the great interior to 

 western West Australia. 



Of the extreme eastern birds, the true striata might be united 

 with howei (Mathews), which is stated to differ from the former 

 in " being red-brown above and in having the white shaft-streaks 

 bordered by a line of black " {Bull. B.O.C., xxvii., p. 100). 



A pair (^ upper fig., $ under fig.) of hoivei, the subject of the 

 coloured plate, is from the " H. L. White Collection," National 

 Museum. Gould's plate (" Birds of Australia," vol. iii.. No. 29) 

 more assimilates the richer-coloured interior form. 



There is less variety among the rich auburn headed and 

 mantled birds, which apparently come under one group, namely : — 

 nifa (Campbell and Kershaw), interior of Northern Territory 



(Emu, xii., p. 274). 

 owoii (Mathews), interior of Western .Australia (Bull. B.O.C.. wii., 



p. 48). 

 whitei (Mathews), Mid- West Australia (Bull. B.O.C ., xxv., p. 34). 



Therefore, we can, in Amytornis striata, recognize generally 

 two forms, or races — striata proper (Eastern) and whitei, the more 

 auburn phase (Interior and Western). Nestlings of the two forms 

 can likewise be separated. 



Interesting field observations on A . striata will be found in 

 The Emu, vol. ix., by Messrs. F. L. Lawson (W.A.) and F. E. 

 Howe (Vic.) respectively on pages 204 and 2^z. 



Dimensions in mm. : — 

 Eastern — Length 160-170, wing 61, tail 80-85, tarsus 2^, culmen 10. 

 Central — Length 165, wing 62, tail 8g, tarsus 22, culmen 12. 

 Western — Length 165, wing bo. tail 80, tarsus 22, culmen 13. 



Amytornis nwrrotsyi. Mellor (E)nu. xii., p. i6b), from South 

 Australia, appears to bi' a robust \ariety of striata -probaI)ly a 

 distinct species ; it is not a sub-species of tcxtilis, as indicated 1)\- 

 Mathews in his " i()i3 List," p. 2^]2. 



(i 



