86 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXV. 



DESCRIPTION OF A SUPPOSED NEW GRASS-WREN. 



By T. Carter, M.B.O.U., Broome Hill, W.A. 



(Communicated by A. J. Campbell, C.M.B.O.U.) 



{Read before the Field Naturalists' Cluh of Victoria, lOth Aug., 1908.) 



Having recently procured a specimen of an Amytis which does 

 not agree in many particulars with Mr. Milligan's description of 

 Amytis gig antur a (megalurus, Sharpe), {Vict. Nat., xviii. (1901), 

 p. 27), I send the following description and proposed name for it, 

 as I think it will prove to be a new species. 



Up to the present I believe only one specimen of A. gigantura 

 has been obtained, and that is not available for inspection at time 

 of writing, but upon future comparison, or the obtaining of a 

 further series of skins, should the bird just obtained prove to be 

 the same, the following description may still be of value in 

 showing variations in colour and size. Mr. Milligan's account 

 did not mention the sex, and, unfortunately, my specimen was so 

 severely shot that the sex could not be determined with certainty, 

 but I think it is a female. Probably it is not very material, as 

 the sexes in this genus do not differ very much in colour. 



Amytis varia, Marlock Grass-Wren, sp. nov. (?). 



Forehead, crown of head, hind neck, and cheeks black, with 

 numerous striations of white. The whole of mantle, back, and 

 upper tail coverts rich rufous on margins of feathers, the centre part 

 of each feather being dark chocolate-brown, and the shafts white, 

 which white, extending some little distance up the vanes, gives 

 the whole of the striations on the head, hind neck, and mantle a 

 remarkable " fish-bone," or, as I believe ladies would term it, 

 "feather-stitch" appearance. Tail, rusty-brown, with shafts (10) 

 darker in shade on upper surface, the whole of the tail feathers 

 being distinctly barred with about thirty bars. Under surface of 

 tail feathers reddish-brown, with whitey-red shafts. Chin, throat, 

 and breast rufous, each feather striated with white. Sides of 

 chest and abdomen similar, but darker in shade, and striations not 

 so white. Flanks and under tail coverts still darker in colour, 

 but striations pronounced on under tail coverts. Primaries dark 

 brown, with lighter margins and white shafts. Under wing coverts 

 bright chestnut. Bill dark horn colour. Tarsi dark purplish- 

 flesh, with feet of a darker shade. Soles yellowish, Irides 

 reddish hazel. ~ Rictal bristles six in number on each side — four 

 together, stout, and about 10 mm. in length, the remaining pairs, 

 next the beak, being slightly shorter and thinner. The whole of 

 bristles very distinct and visible. 



Below I have tabulated the main differences between the two 

 skins, for better comparison : — 



