THE PLAIN WANDERERS. 29I 



the feathers of the top of the head, l)ack and shoulder-feathers 

 margined witli whitish-buff, and with the vanes free, giving the 

 plumage a Rhca-like appearance; chin and middle of throat 

 white ; breast and rest of under-parts buff barred with black, 

 except in the middle of the belly. Total length, 6-3 inches; 

 wing, 4; tail, i'6; tarsus, i. 



Range. — Australia ; New South Wales, Victoria, South Aus- 

 trali:i, and the interior. 



Habits. — Sir George Grey says: — "These birds are migra- 

 tory ; they appear at Adelaide in June, and di.sappear about 

 January ; where they go has not yet been ascertained. They 

 never fly if they can avoid so doing, and are often caught by 

 dogs ; when disturbed they crouch down and endeavour to hide 

 themselves in a tuft of grass. While running about they are in 

 the habit of raising themselves in a nearly perpendicular posi- 

 tion on the extremities of their toes, so that the hinder part 

 of the foot does not touch the ground, and of taking a wide 

 survey around them. . . . The call of those we have in 

 confinement precisely resembles that of the Emu, not the 

 whistle, but the hollow-sounding noise like that produced by 

 tapping on a cask which the Emu utters, but it is, of course, 

 much fainter." 



October and November are said to be the principal breeding 



months. 



Nest. — Made of dry grasses, and placed in a slight depres- 

 sion in the ground, under the shelter of a shrub or tuft of 

 grass. 



Eggs. — Four in number ; pyriform ; ground colour stone- 

 white, thickly freckled and blotched with umbsr-brown and 

 vinous-grey, the latter colour appearing as if beneath the 

 surface of the shell. Average meisurements, i"35 by 0*94 

 inch. 



u 2 



