INSESSORES. 391 



in disposition as to admit of the nearest approach, and when 

 flushed merely flits ofl" to the distance of a few yards. Its 

 distribution, so far as we yet know, is confined to New South 

 Wales and South Australia, in both of which countries it is 

 a stationary and abundant species. It is very active in its 

 actions, passing with great celerity over the gravelly ridges 

 of the ground beneath the shade of the apple- and gum- 

 trees. 



The nest is of a domed form, and is placed among withered 

 grass in a depression of the ground, so as to be on a level 

 with the surface, and being formed of the same material as 

 that with which it is surrounded, it is all but impossible to 

 discover it ; the entrance is an extremely small hole close to 

 the ground. The eggs, which are four in number, are of a 

 light cochineal-red, with a zone of blackish-brown spots at the 

 larger end ; then' medium length is nine lines by seven lines 

 in breadth. 



The sexes are very similar ; some individuals however are 

 distinguished by the superciliary stripe being brown instead 

 of white ; whether this be characteristic of youth or maturity, 

 I have not satisfactorily ascertained ; I can scarcely conceive 

 that so trivial a difference should indicate a difference of 

 species. 



General plumage olive-brown, the feathers of the back with 

 darker centres, and of the head with a longitudinal stripe of 

 buff down the middle of each ; primaries narrowly edged with 

 whitish ; tail slightly tipped with white ; under surface white, 

 washed with yellow, each feather with a broad stripe of 

 blackish brown down the centre, except on the middle of the 

 abdomen, which is nearly pure white and without stripes ; 

 irides straw-yellow ; bill brown ; feet fleshy brown. 



