170 Order ra.sscrifonnes, FiunHij ^Syldidae, 



Order Passeriformes, Family Sylviidae, 

 Genus Megalurus. 



I'.y A. M. AloigaiK M.T.., I!. Ch. 



Megalurus gramineus — The Little Grass-bird. 



Description. — Upper surface, head, neck, upper back 

 brown, each feather with a broad stripe of dull black in the 

 centre; lower back and upper tail coverts, light yellowish- 

 brown; over the eye a line of dull white. Under surface, chin 

 white, with a few dark-brown spots; neck white, strongly 

 spotted with dull black; breast, dull white; abdomen, dull 

 yellc-wish-white in centre changing to butf on the tianks and 

 under tail coverts and thighs ; wing primaries, dull black ; 

 secondaries, dull black, edged with dull white; greater coverts, 

 dull black, edged with fawn; under wing coverts, dull white; 

 tail, dark brown, the shafts and a narrow line down the centre 

 of each feather, black; bill brown; legs and feet, pale brown; 

 iris dark brown. The sexes are alike in colour. 



Total length of skin, 14 cm.; wing, 5.4 cm,; tail G.5 cm. 



Distribution. — The whole of the southern part of Austra- 

 lia, including Tasmania and Kangaroo Island. It is a common 

 bird during the summer months on the islands of St. Vincent 

 and Spencer (lulfs, and they am still fairly numerous in the 

 City of Adelaide, on the banks of the Tori-ens and in the 

 Botanical Gardens. 



Habitat. — Low-lying swampy country where there are 

 reedbeds or samphire flats. On the Murray and Darling Rivers 

 they are very numerous in the flooded country during high 

 rivers, and breed in the half-submerged polygoniTm bushes. 



Habits. — In the southern parts of South Australia they are 

 migratory, arriving early in August and leaving some time 

 towards the end of February or early in March ; a few, however, 

 remain throughout the winter, perhaps more than is generally 

 supposed, as they are silent, at tliat season of the year and are 

 not conspicuous birds at any time. They live amongst the 

 reeds cr samj)hire, which they leave only to cross from one 

 patch to another. In the reeds they are lively a!id quick in 

 threading their way. . They are inquisitive and easily called 

 u]) by imitating their call. The tail is carried partly erect, 

 but not carried over the back as with the maluri. 



Flight. — Fluttering, of short duration, rarely more than 

 a few yards from one clump of reeds to another. 



'Call. — Two or three long-drawn-out mournful whistles 

 repeated at short intervals. 



Food. — Small insects. 



