INSESSORES. 399 



Family ? 



Genus SPHENCEACUS, Strickland. 



A group of reed- and grass-frequenting birds, which are 

 found not only in every part of Austraha, but also in the 

 Indian Islands and India. 



Sp.244. SPHENCEACUS GALACTOTES. 



Tawny Grass-bird. 



Malurus galactotes, Temm. PI. Col., 65. 



Megalurus galactotes, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 228. 



Sphenoeacus galactotes, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. iii. 

 pi. 35. 



This is a scarce species in New South Wales, the few 

 individuals I have seen being from the grassy districts of the 

 Liverpool Plains ; in all probability, however, it ranges along 

 the eastern and over the whole of the northern portion of 

 Australia. Gilbert's notes inform me that he found it 

 " tolerably abundant on the islands at the head of Van 

 Diemen's Gulf, where it inhabits the long grass or rushes 

 growing in or adjacent to the swamps ; it is so shy that it is 

 very rarely seen ; when closely hunted it takes wing, but 

 flying appears to be a difficult action at all times ; at least I 

 have never seen it sustain a flight of more than a hundred 

 yards at the utmost, and even in that short distance it seemed 

 ready to sink into the grass with fatigue. The only note I 

 have heard it emit is a harsh and rapidly repeated chutch. 

 The stomachs of those I dissected were extremely muscular, 

 and contained the remains of insects of various kinds and 

 what appeared to be vegetable fibres." 



General plumage pale brown, deepening into rufous on the 

 crown of the head and fading into dull white on the throat 

 and centre of the abdomen ; all the feathers of the upper 

 surface with blackish brown centres ; secondaries blackish 



