Vol. XII 



1913 



1 Mellor, Description of New Grass-Wren. 167 



with black edgings ; the ear coverts are similar in colour but 

 longer ; chin buffy- white. Throat, chest, and sides of breast 

 feathers striped with dull white, on each side of which is a 

 narrow line of dull brown, and edged again with dull white. On 

 centre of breast patch of uniform creamy-buff. Flanks, abdomen, 

 rump, and under tail coverts light brown. Wings brown, 

 the primaries having buff shafts, and a portion of the outer web 

 chestnut, forming a conspicuous patch of that colour in the 

 centre of the wing. Secondaries and greater wing coverts with 

 buffy stripe down entire centre, and edged with narrow margin 

 of the same colour, which becomes more chestnut as the smaller 

 wing coverts are reached ; under wing coverts buff. Tail brown, 

 each feather margined with dull buffy-brown, and slightly tipped 

 with the same colour, the shafts being rusty-brown ; shape of 

 each feather being somewhat narrow, and pointed at the tip. 

 Bill dark horn ; feet dark horn. 



Female. — Much the same colouration throughout, the rufous on 

 the mantle, &c., being slightly lighter, also a little more rufous 

 on the greater wing coverts ; shoulders have a wash of the 

 same colour, while the under surface indicates less striation and 

 more rufous wash all over the breast. All the tail feathers have 

 a distinctly light buffy-brown line down the centre. 



Measurements in looth parts of inch: — Male. — ^Total length, 

 610; bill, 60; wing, 260: tail, 320; tarsi, no, and stout. 

 Female. — Total length, 580 ; bill, 54 ; wing, 230 ; tail, 280 ; 

 tarsi, no. 



Nest. — Domed and loosely constructed of dry spinifex grass, 

 lined with rabbits' fur. Built in spinifex-grass bush. Eggs. — 

 Two form clutch ; shape — somewhat elongated, equally rounded 

 at both ends, the ground colour being pearly-white, uniformly 

 dotted and marked with various-sized, irregularly-shaped 

 splashes of reddish-brown, the marking denser at the extreme 

 larger end. Dimensions in looth parts of inch : — (a) 88 x 60 ; 

 {b) 88 X 60. 



New Acanthiza. 

 By Alex. W. Milligan, R.A.O.U., Melbourne. 

 Acanthiza pygmea, sub-sp. nov. 



The above new sub-species was discovered in the Mallee district 

 of Victoria by Mr. Leshe G. Chandler in October, igi2, when 

 collecting for Mr. H. L. White, of Belltrees, Scone, N.S.W., and I 

 was permitted to examine it in connection with my monograph, 

 in preparation, on the Acanthiza. This is the smallest of all the 

 genus, and, for that reason, I propose the trivial name of Fairy 

 Tit. It closely resembles Acanthiza mathewsi, Hartert, from 

 which it does not differ to any material extent in either the 

 colour or pattern of its plumage. Its miniature proportions, 



