1917-] Dirk Hurtoy Island and Peron Peninsula. 6OI 



just like the mewing of a small kitten was heard, as if in the 

 same bush, and, looking through the foliagCj another bird 

 was seen close to the ground, and perched in the same 

 busli. It was also shot. The bii'ds were male and female 

 D. textilis. There is little doubt but that the second bird 

 made the mewing noise, on seeing its mate hanging by 

 its feet. It may be mentioned that several large flocks of 

 sheep had been driven close past this bush and all round 

 it a short time before. No more of these birds were seen 

 until May 18, when, at another part of the island, a rather 

 reddish-brown looking bird was seen perched about four 

 feet above the ground near the top of a thickly foliaged 

 bush. On chirping with my lips, it came right out on the 

 top of the bush, so 1 was able to shoot it, and it fell through 

 the twigs to the ground below. While stooping down to 

 reach the bird (it was a Grass- Wren) another one appeared 

 iu the bush and came within two feet of my hand on the 

 ground, and kept uttering a low note like '^ teck-teck." 

 After fluttering about with outspread wings for a few 

 seconds, it disappeared from sight, and, as after a rather 

 prolonged search all round the vicinity I failed to find it 

 again, I returned to where I had picked up the first bird, 

 and to my intense surprise I saw a second Grass- Wren lying 

 dead on the ground, almost exactly where the first had fallen. 

 The only possible solution of such a curious fact was that 

 the second bird was out of sight when the shot was fired ; 

 but, being in the line of fire, was wounded, and had returned 

 and died at the place where it had last seen its mate. 

 Neither of the birds was breeding. Most of the Grass- 

 Wrens appeared to be moulting towards the end of May. 



May 21. When searching through some dense masses of 

 tall wattle-bushes, and squeaking with my lips, a Grass- 

 Wren appeared low down in one of them, and climbed up 

 the centre of the bush, evidently to investigate the unusual 

 noise. 



October 8. While walking back towards the station home- 

 stead, after a long round, and passing through low sandhills 

 with clumps of large bushes matted with creepers and grass, 



