INSESSORES. 315 



be a subject of surprise, as it is only another illustration of 

 that beautiful law of representation which is conspicuously 

 carried out in Australia. The habitat of the present bird will 

 doubtless be hereafter found to be as strictly confined to the 

 western part of the continent as that of the P. crejntans is to 

 the eastern. It is to Gilbert's perseverance that science is 

 indebted for the knowledge of this new bird ; and his notes 

 respecting it I here transcribe : — " Inhabits thickets of a 

 small species of Leptospermum growing among the sand-hills 

 which run parallel with and adjacent to the beach. It utters 

 a peculiar harsh and grating song which it is quite impossible 

 to describe, and which is so different from that of every other 

 bird I ever heard or am acquainted with, that I shall have no 

 difficulty in recognizing it again wherever I may hear it. I 

 heard it for the first time, together with the notes of many 

 other birds equally strange to me, in the vicinity of the Won- 

 gan HiUs a few weeks back, but could not then obtain a sight 

 of the bird, although I knew that it was only a few yards 

 from me." 



Plumage of the upper surface olive ; under surface ashy, 

 passing into brown on the flanks and white on the centre of 

 the abdomen ; primaries brown ; tail light olive-brown, the 

 four lateral feathers crossed near the extremity with a band 

 of black, and tipped with white ; throat deep black, with a 

 stripe of white from the angle of the lower mandible, just 

 within the black ; bill dark horn-colour ; irides dark brown ; 

 feet dark horn-colour. 



Total length 6 J inches ; bill f ; wing 3 J ; tail 4 J ; tarsi 1-g-. 



Genus SPHENOSTOMA, Gould. 



The only known species of this genus frequents the sterile 

 parts of the interior of Australia generally, particularly those 

 portions of the country clothed with low shrubs and bushes. 



That this form and Psophodes are nearly allied there can, I 

 think, be no doubt. 



