88 Grossman, Birds Seen at Cumminin Station, W .A . [,st'"oct. 



my way up from Beverley, in June, 1906, I saw a bird apparently of 

 this species, but was unable to obtain it. 



White-browed Babbler {Pomatorhinus super ciliosiis). — Common. 



Brown Song-Lark (Cinclorhamphus cruralis). — In 1906 this species 

 did not put in an appearance, but in the following year it was plentiful 

 everywhere in the open country. 



White-fronted Chat {Ephthianura albifrons). — Large parties of 

 this little bird may be seen during the winter. The male bird assists 

 the female during the period of incubation. 



Broad-tailed Tit {Acanthiza apicalis). — Common. 



Yellow-rumped Tit {A. chrysorrhoa). — Common. 



Redthroat (Sericornis hrunnea). — Not uncoram.on in scrubby 

 country. 



White-winged Wren (Maltirits lencopterus). — I have had one 

 opportunity of seeing this species, when a party of these prett}' little 

 birds allowed me to get quite close to them on a sand-plain. The 

 party consisted of a male and female and some full}' fledged young. 

 The note of the birds, which is very similar to that of the Banded 

 Wren {Malurus splendens) first drew my attention to them. 



Blue-breasted Wren (Malurus pulcherrimus) . — On the only 

 occasion on which I saw this beautiful bird I was much struck with 

 the way in which the various colours seemed to blend. I was unable 

 at the time to name the species, which I saw in a salmon -barked gum 

 forest on the edge of a sand-plain, but I identified it immediately from 

 specimens I saw in the Perth Museum. 



Western Grass-Wren (^Amytis gigantiira'). — On my way from 

 Beverley to Cumminin in June, 1906, I saw a bird, which at- 

 tracted my attention very much, fly across the road in front of my 

 buggy. It settled and then ran along the ground, jumping over a log 

 on its way. I quickly got down, and, taking my collector's gun, 

 followed the bird, and was lucky enough to flush it again. It settled 

 further on again, behind a bush, when I managed to get a snap-shot 

 at it. Imagine my disgust on reaching the spot at not being able to 

 find the bird. After some time, however, my spaniel fetched it out 

 of a thick bush. I was unable to identify it, and sent it to the 

 Western Australian Museum, in Perth, where it was stated to be this 

 species. The next time I went down to Perth I was examining 

 specimens of A. gigantura, and it struck me that the bird I had sent 

 down differed in certain respects, but I was unable to compare them, 

 as the specimen I obtained had been mislaid. About a year ago in 

 The Emu there appeared a description of a new species of Grass-Wren 

 by Mr. Tom Carter, of Broome Hill, and from what he said there I 

 think that the bird obtained by me belonged to his species ; however, 

 the specimen has been lost, and the question can now never be 

 cleared up. About six weeks before obtaining this bird I was driving 

 down to Beverley and a bird flew across the road and exhibited the 

 same tactics as the one I eventually shot, and I then said to my 

 companion — " I believe that is a new or rare species of bird." This, 

 I think, was another bird of the same species. 



Masked Wood-Swallow (Artamus personatus). — In the summer 

 of 1907-8 this bird was plentiful in the jam-wood country, though in 

 the preceding year I saw none of them. 



