igiy.] Dirk Hartog Island and Per on Peninsula. 605 



that seemed to be of a variety peculiar to Dirk Hartog Island, 

 The striped mantles of this Grass- Wren are eminently pro- 

 tective when the birds are in the dark shade of the lower 

 branches of the wattles, as the white stripes blend with the 

 whitish dead twigs, which are always very numerous in the 

 lower part of the bushes. 



Tiiis species is at times very tame, or perhaps inquisitive 

 would be a better word, but, as a rule, the birds are of the 

 most agile and elusive habits, as may be inferred from the 

 above notes. They are undoubtedly very local in distribution 

 on the island, but being so chary of leaving the shelter 

 and security of the thick scrub, they are probably more 

 numerous than is apparent. It is to be feared that domestic 

 cats in a wild state, which are now becoming numerous on 

 the island (as well as everywhere else in Western Australia), 

 will be a great menace to this and other scrub-haunting 

 birds. At my suggestion, Dirk Hartog Island has been 

 recently proclaimed a reserve for Native Game by the 

 Colonial Secretary of Western Australia. 



Average measurements in inches : — 



Total length. 



c? 7-12 



? 6-82 



The female birds only have the chesnut flank-marks. 



Diaphorillas textilis textilis. 



The Western Grass-Wren is another interesting species 

 of which no specimens have been obtained since it was first 

 discovered by the French expedition to Shark's Bay in 

 Western Australia in 1818. That is to say, it has not been 

 obtained from the locality where the type w^as found. 



One specimen only of the Grass- Wren was procured on 

 tlic Peron peninsula, though it is believed that others were 

 seen. As before stated, when only a glimpse of a Cala- 

 manthus is obtained as it goes at full speed on the ground 

 through scrub, it can easily be mistaken for a Grass-Wren, 

 as the Field- Wren (^Calamanthns) has very long legs for 

 its size. 



