BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 33 



the grasses are wet from dew or rain its wings are rendered per- 

 fectly unavailable. On the ground it is altogether as nimble and 

 active, its creeping mouse-like motions, and the extreme facility 

 with which it turns and bounds over the surface, enabling it easily 

 to elude pursuit, and amply compensating for the paucity of its 

 powers of flight. The tail is carried in an erect position, and is 

 even occasionally retroverted over the back." 



Such widely separated places as Kelso, Wilmot, Tasman's 

 Peninsula, Noland Bay, and Smithton are among the localities 

 from which I have it recorded. 



*GKASS-BIRD 

 (Megalurus gramineus, Gould). 



Male. Head reddish-brown streaked with dull black; eyebrows 

 dull white; back slightly paler than head; feathers centred with 

 black; rump and upper tail coverts pale fulvous; tail brown mar- 

 gined with fulvous; upper wing coverts similar to back; quills 

 dark brown, outer webs fulvous, innermost secondaries blackish- 

 brown margined with whitish ; under surface dull white, washed 

 with fulvous on fore-neck and breast, passing into fulvous-brown 

 on the sides of the body ; irides brown ; bill olive-brown ; legs and 

 feet olive-brown. Dimensions in mm.: Length, 160; bill, 10; 

 tail, 63; tarsus, 20. 



Female. Similar to male. 



Nest. The commonest type of nest here in Tasmania is that 

 constructed of grass and lined with feathers, placed in the centre 

 of a clump of long tussock-grass in swampy situations ; it is slightly 

 domed or hooded. 



Eggs. Clutch three to four; roundish oval in shape; texture 

 very fine ; surface slightly glossy ; colour light pinkish, sometimes 

 tinged with purplish, spotted all over, at times more heavily on 

 the apex, with purplish-red and dull grey. Dimensions in mm. of 

 a richly marked clutch in Mr. F. Claridge's collection: (1) 18.75 

 x 14.25, (2) 17.5 x 14, (3) 17.5 x 14, (4) 18 x 13.75; of a pair in the 

 same collection (1) 16.5 x 12, (2) 17 x 12. 



Breeding Season. September to the end of the year, generally. 



Geographical Distribution. Tasmania, King Island, and Aus- 

 tralia in general. 



Observations. As its name implies, this bird is to all intents 

 and purposes a purely terrestrial species. Most of its time is spent 

 on the ground among the clumps of band-grass on the open areas 

 favoured by it. Earely does one see it perch on a bush or the like. 

 Its flight is strong and rapid, always close to the ground. In many 

 districts it is fairly common, judging from the frequency with 

 which one can hear its sharp little whistling note issuing from 

 clumps of grass on the edge of flats, creeks, and similar situations. 



4 



