INSESSORES. 337 



Sp. 199. AMYTIS STRIATUS, Gould. 



Striated Wren. 



Amytis textilis, Less. Traite d'Orn., p. 454, pi. 67. fig. 2. 

 Dasyornis striatus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part vii. p. 143. 



Amytis striatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. iii. pi. 29. 



The only specimen I procured of this little bird in a recent 

 state was shot while I was traversing the Lower Namoi ; it 

 appeared to give preference to a loose sandy soil studded with 

 high rank grass, which, growing in tufts, left the interspaces 

 quite bare : through the natural labyrinth thus formed the 

 Striated Wren ran with amazing rapidity ; and it was only by 

 forcing it to take wing that I succeeded in killing the one I 

 obtained, which on dissection proved to be a male. All the 

 specimens I have seen from New South Wales were in the red 

 state of plumage, which goes far towards proving that this 

 bird is really distinct from Ami/tis textilis. 



Nothing has yet been ascertained respecting its nidification : 

 its food, like that of the Textile Wren, consists of insects of 

 various kinds. As might be conjectured from its form, its 

 habits are terrestrial ; and it rarely, if ever, mounts into the 

 air, or flies except among the trees. 



Upper surface fine rusty red, each feather with a line of 

 bufFy white bounded on each side by black down the centre ; 

 line beneath the eye black ; ear-coverts black, striated with 

 white ; wings and tail brown, margined with light reddish 

 brown ; base of the primaries rust-red, forming a conspicuous 

 patch ; chin and throat white ; feathers of the chest bufFy 

 white, with two lines of brown, one down each side the stem ; 

 under surface rust-red, some of the feathers with a stripe of 

 white down the centre ; tail dark brown, indistinctly barred 

 with a still darker tint, margined with lighter brown ; irides 

 hazel ; bill dark horn-colour ; feet brownish lead-colour. 



Total length Q\ inches ; bill f ; wing 2| ; tail 3^ ; tarsi 1 . 



z 



