191 7'] Dirk Hartog Island and Peron Peninsula. 599 



not seen much. They appeared to be very local in their 

 distribution on the island, none bein<> observed at some 

 camps, although the scrub appeared to be suitable for them. 

 They do not seem to have any song, and were not heard to 

 utter any notes unless it was a faint mouse-like squeak, that 

 to the writer (who is rather deaf) appeared to emanate from 

 them. No breeding notes were obtained, and no young 

 birds were seen. 



None of the specimens examined either. on the first or 

 second visits (April to May and October to November) 

 showed any signs of breeding, but some were moulting in 

 October. 



Average measurements in inches : — 



Total length. Tail, 



S 0-75 -1.'50 



? 6-12 4-0 



Diaphorillas textilis carteri Mathews, Austr. Avian Record, 

 iii. 1917, p. 87. 



Skins procured on Dirk Hartog Island last year (1916), 

 when compared with skins in the Perth Museum from Day 

 Dawn of Diaphorillas textilis giganturus, show that birds 

 from the latter district (300 miles south-east and inland 

 from Shark^s Bay) lack the dark brown stripes on each 

 side of the central white stripes which are present in the 

 plumage of the birds from Dirk Hartog Island. Also 

 the Day Dawn birds are much more rufous in general 

 colour. 



I was so fortunate as to shoot a pair of these Grass- 

 Wrens at my camp near the north end of Dirk Hartog on 

 29 April, 1916, that is on the day after I got the speci- 

 mens of Nesomalurus leucopterus and Stipiturus malachurus 

 hartogi, on the way there. They were surely two exciting 

 and memorable days. Leaving the camp, situated among 

 coast-hills of white sand, after a very early breakfast, I had 

 not gone far when a bird darted from a bush almost at 

 my feet, and ran at great speed, with head and tail both 

 almost horizontal, through some low scrub three or four 



