INSESSOUES. 351 



very retiring in its habits, generally creeping about among 

 the grasses, and will almost admit of being trodden upon 

 before it will rise and take wing ; during the months of 

 spring the male* becomes somewhat bolder, and early in the 

 morning will frequently perch on the highest of the grasses 

 and pour forth a pretty but feeble song, resembling that of the 

 Maluri. As some confusion existed respecting the sexes of 

 the various species of this genus, I was particular in dissecting 

 all the individuals I shot, and I can therefore state with cer- 

 tainty that the plumage of both sexes of this species is per- 

 fectly similar, and that the only outward difference between 

 them consists in the female being somewhat smaller than her 

 mate. 



Crown of the head, back, wing-coverts, scapularies, and 

 tail-feathers brownish black, each feather narrowly margined 

 with buff; sides and back of the neck and all the under 

 surface sandy buff, fading into white on the throat and centre 

 of the abdomen ; bill and feet flesh-brown. 



Sp. 210. CISTICOLA LINEOCAPILLA, Gould. 



LiNEATED Grass-Warbler. 



Cysticola lineocapilla, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xv. p. 1. 

 Cisticola lineicapilla, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., torn. i. p. 287, Cisticola, 

 sp. 7. 



Cysticola lineocapilla, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. iii. pi. 43. 



The Cisticola lineocapilla is a much smaller and more 

 delicately formed species than the C. eccilis, and may, more- 

 over, be distinguished from that and every other member of 

 the genus with which I am acquainted by the lineated form 

 of the markings of the head. It is a native of the north coast 

 of Austraha, and all the specimens I have seen were from the 

 neighbourhood of Port Essington. Gilbert states that it " is 

 very rarely seen, in consequence of its generally inhabiting the 

 long grass of the swamps, where it creeps about more like a 



