74 Campbell, A Commonwealth Collection. [ f"o t 



tephropleura, Melithrepiiis vinitinctus, and Stigmatops alhi- 

 auricitlaris. 



Finally, my best thanks, as well as the indebtedness of all students 

 in ornithology, more especially in oology, are due to Mr. H. L. 

 White for so generously defraying the great expense of etching 

 the excellent tricoloured photo. -blocks wherewith to illustrate 

 this article, and to Mr. S. W. Jackson for his careful attention to 

 the rare and valuable eggs entrusted to him by Mr. White while 

 the specimens were being photographed, at Sydney, by Messrs. 

 S. W. Bacon & Co. Limited. 



Description of a New Sericornis. 



By C. F. Cole, R.A.O.U. 



The following is a description of a new Scrub-Wren obtained 

 during a visit to Forsyth Island (Furneaux Group), Bass Strait, 

 with several other members of the working camp-out of the. 

 R.A.O.U. on Barren Island, during November, 1912 : — 



Male. — Head, nape, hind neck, and mantle uniform reddish- 

 brown ; back, rump, upper tail coverts, and tail feathers much 

 darker, being a rich reddish-brown Tail feathers with no 

 distinct sub-terminal band. Wing uniform reddish-brown, the 

 outer webbing of the primaries having a distinct greyish tinge. 

 Spurious wing coverts dark brown, faintly tipped with white, a 

 few of the feathers having the inner webbing margined with white. 

 Chest dusky-brown, with a pronounced yellowish tinge. Breast 

 and abdomen pale yellow ; side of breast dusky-brown ; flanks 

 reddish-brown. Under tail coverts brown, being margined paler 

 at the tips. Chin and cheeks ashy-grey, indistinctly mottled 

 with dusky brown. Throat and lower throat ashy-grey, with dark 

 brown centres to the feathers. Ear coverts dusky-brown, having 

 the quills ashy-grey. Lores dusky-brown, indistinctly mottled 

 ashy-grey. Forehead reddish-brown, mottled with ashy-grey, 

 giving a distinctive scaly appearance. Irides grey-hazel. Bill 

 black. Legs and feet brown. 



Female. — Similar to foregoing. 



Dimensions in millimetres : — Total length, 124 ; wing, 54 ; 

 tail, 47 ; bill, 11 ; tarsus, 19. 



I propose provisionally the name Sericornis insularis, and, as 

 a vernacular, Forsyth Scrub- Wren. 



Habitat. — Forsyth, Cape Barren, and Clarke Islands. 



Observations. — ^This bird was fairly numerous upon the island, 

 as many as five being flushed at one time. The birds keep close 

 to the ground, amongst the thick vegetation. Upon being flushed 

 they dart to the top of a low bush, giving utterance to a few short, 

 startled notes of danger, and immediately seek cover again. 

 Several specimens were secured, and upon dissection the type 

 female was found to be breeding. 



An apparently old nest found was situated in a small, densely- 



