34 BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 



Owing to its rapidity of flight, during which the tail is displayed 

 fanned, and general shyness, one catches but a fleeting glimpse ot 

 a bird here and there, even in a locality where it is plentiful. 



*GKASS-WAKBLEB 

 (Cisticola exilis, Vig. and Horsf.) 



Male (breeding plumage). " General colour above golden-buff, 

 the feathers of the back with a slight ashy shade and broadly cen- 

 tred with brownish-black; upper wing coverts like the back, pri 

 maries and outermost secondaries brown externally edged with 

 golden-buff, the innermost secondaries blackish-brown margined 

 with golden-buff; tail feathers brownish-black, edged and largely 

 tipped with golden-buff; forehead and sides of the head and neck 

 slightly darker than the crown ; all the under surface pale goldeii- 

 buff , slightly darker on the breast and flanks ; under tail coverts pale 

 golden-buff; upper mandible brown, lower mandible flesh colour; 

 legs and feet flesh colour. Total length in the flesh, 3.6 inches; 

 wing, 1.9; tail, 1.2; bill, 0.38; tarsus, 0.72" (A. J. North). 



Female (breeding plumage). Similar to male save that the 

 head as well as the back is broadly striped with black. 



Winter Plumage (both sexes). Practically the same as breed- 

 ing plumage of female. 



Young (both sexes). Young birds of both sexes resemble the 

 winter plumage of the adult female, but are duller in colour, the 

 feathers on the hind-neck and rump above showing a distinct wash 

 of golden-buff, those on the under surface being dull white, with a 

 faint tinge of yellowish-buff on the neck and golden-buff on the 

 sides of the body" (A. J. North). 



Nest. Generally situated in open grass country or river flats; 

 it is inclined to oval in shape, with entrance near the top; con- 

 structed of fine grass, with which are mixed spiders' webs and 

 cocoons; lined with thistle-down or some similar soft material. 



Eggs. Clutch four usually; roundish oval in shape; texture 

 fine and surface lustrous; colour delicate bluish-green, moderately 

 but distinctly blotched with reddish-brown and purplish-brown. 

 Dimensions in mm. of a clutch : (1) 15 x 11, (2) 14.5 x 10.75, (3) 

 15 x 1.0.5, (4) 14.25 x 11. 



Breeding Season. October to December. 



Geographical Distribution. King Island and Australia in 

 general; also " New Guinea Islands, Molucca Islands, Philippines, 

 Formosa, Malayan Peninsula, Further India, and India" (A. 

 J. Campbell). 



Observations. This bird is common among the grassy flats on 

 King Island. So far as I am aware, its existence has not been 

 reported from any of the other large islands lying in Bass Strait. 

 although it is quite possible it frequents more than one. 



