^'"'igi^''! Whitlock, Noies on Megalurus strialus (Milligan). 245 



The female is not a close sitter, and only once did I flush her 

 from her eggs. However, it is almost impossible to walk quietly 

 through the water, or where the reeds are growing thickly. I 

 was never able to detect a female in the act of building, and the 

 males do not appear to call in the immediate vicinity of the nest. 

 When the young are in the nest, or hidden in the neighbouring 

 reeds, both parents become very anxious, fluttering from clump 

 to clump witli harsh cries, or even shamming lameness, or a broken 

 wing, where the peat is above water-level. In the nest the young 

 are able to flatten themselves down in a remarkable way. One 

 brood I was examining was so quiet and motionless that I was 

 quite deceived, thinking they were all dead. 



Megalurus striatus is a very jealous bird, and the greatest care 

 is necessary to avoid disturbing an unfinished nest. One I found 

 was just ready for eggs. I only gently felt to the bottom with one 

 finger ; but this was quite enough to cause its desertion. A new 

 nest was built in a neighbouring clump, the lining of feathers 

 being removed from the nest I had disturbed and utilized in the 

 new one. All this was accomplished, and four eggs laid, within 

 seven days. 



About the end of January the birds appear to leave the swamp, 

 returning towards the end of June. The males may be heard 

 calling the following month. 



To my thinking, Megalurus has some affinity with the Reed- 

 Warblers {Acrocephalus). In the nature of its haunts and the 

 situation and construction of its nest it has much in common 

 with the latter. Also, there is a certain peculiarity about the 

 flesh of both genera. It is remarkably soft, and has a peculiar 

 smell. Megalurus is a delicate, loose-plumaged bird, and should be 

 skinned quickly when preparing scientific specimens. 



Young birds closely resemble their parents, and are very 

 secretive, remaining hidden in the densest clumps of reeds. 



Annotations. 



By a. J. Campbell, Col. Mem. B.O.U., Melbourne. 



New Sericornis. — At the Sydney session (1911) of the R.A.O.U., 

 Mr. J. W. Mellor. Adelaide, exhibited a Sericornis which he pro- 

 cured in the Mount Lofty Ranges. It somewhat resembles the 

 Sericornis frequenting the Victorian ranges, but differs by the 

 dark sub-terminal markings of the tafl, which markings are absent 

 in the Victorian species The South Australian bird is clearly 

 Gould's 5. osculans. 



Comparing this mainland bird of South Australia with those 

 collected by the R.A.O.U. expedition to Kangaroo Island (1905), 

 it will be observed that the insular bird is generally darker (a 

 feature peculiar to other kinds of birds inhabiting that island), 

 except the abdomen and edgings of the primaries, which are lighter, 

 while some of the tail feathers are slightly tipped with white. 



