114 THE USEFUL BIRDS 



STRIATED FIELD-WREN 



(Striated Reed-Lark), 



Calamanthus fuligiiiosus, Vig. and Hors. 



Kal-a-man thus fii-li-ji-nonus. 

 Calamus, a reed ; anthus, a small bird ; fuligo, soot. 



Calamanthus fuliginosus, Gould, " Birds of Australia," fol., vol. iii., 



pi. 70. 



Geographical Distribution. — Areas 4, 5. 



Key to the Species. — General appearance olive-green, much streaked ; 

 head olive-green, streaked with black, like back ; breast, sides of 

 body, flanks, and under tail coverts streaked with black ; second- 

 aries about equal. 



Thb Striated Field- Wren prefers the marshy, low growth of 

 the sea border to the rough grassy flats of the interior. In 

 southern Gippsland one may at almost any time obtain a 

 variety of skins if they are needed for scientific purposes. 



The bird from a little bush -top sings sweetly, merrily, and 

 continuously, with its brownish tail erect and ever restless. 

 The tail appears by its movements to be an extraordinary 

 appendage to the bird, for, besides other actions, it indicates 

 the bird's intended course of flight by being dijrected in the 

 opposite direction to that course, differing in this respect 

 from the Blue Wren, which lowers its long tail to the plane 

 of its body on the first flight motion. 



As an insectivorous bird it is a worker in the sour lands. 

 Although this rank grass, such as may be found along the 

 south-eastern coast, may appear of small commercial value, it 

 is important that these breeding grounds of noxious insects 

 be patrolled by the Calamanthi. 



Two species of this genus extend across the dry areas from 

 New South Wales into Western AustraHa — C. campestris and 

 C. isabellinus. 



