l68 MiLLiGAN, New Acanthiza. [isfjan. 



however, as regard total length, bill, tarsi, tail, and wings, and 

 its very slender tarsi and very short, fine bill, at once distinguish 

 it from Acanthiza mathewsi. The sexes can be distinguished only 

 by dissection. The measurements in millimetres of a series of 

 two adult males and one adult female are as follow : — 



Total Length. Wing. Culmen. Tarsus. 



(«) ^ ... 90 ... 51 ... 8 ... 17 

 {b) 3 ■• 92 ••• 49 ■•• 8 ... 17 



(r) 2 ... 88 ... 51 ... 8 ... 18 



Bill and feet black. Irides brown. 

 Type, Belltrees collection. 



Field Notes on the EmU'Wren (Stipiturus malachurus). 



By (Miss) J. A. Fletcher, R.A.O.U., Springfield, Tasmania. 



(Read at the Launceston Session, R.A.O.U., 18/11/12). 



Emu-Wrens [Stipiturus malachurus) are fairly common in the 

 Springfield (Tas.) district. As a general rule, each pair of birds 

 has its own haunt throughout the year ; but I have seen as many 

 as five Wrens together in the autumn. Probably three were the 

 young of the last season, which had not been driven away by 

 their parents. The rustling noise which these birds make when 

 creeping through the rushes betrays them long before their 

 " Tit-like " call is heard. When feeding quietly together their 

 twittering notes resemble those of the AcanthizcB, but the song 

 of the male is a feeble edition of the Maliiri notes. The warning 

 call, again, is similar to that of the Tasmanian Acanthiza. 



This season (1912) I have made some rather interesting notes 

 regarding the Emu-Wrens. The female, as far as I have observed, 

 does all the work of nest-building, gathering and arranging the 

 material. Generally speaking, she is a slow builder if it be the 

 the first nest of the season which she is constructing. If she has 

 lost her first nest she rebuilds and has a completed clutch of eggs 

 in a fortnight's time. The male follows the female as she collects 

 the grass and other material, and flies with her towards the 

 nesting-site, but does not assist her. The female rolls the grass 

 or other material into a neat bundle, and does not have it hanging 

 loosely from her beak. She drops into the centre of a tussock, 

 and emerges from one side, repeating the action in tussock after 

 tussock until the chosen one is reached. With two exceptions 

 the nests found or observed by me this year were placed in sword- 

 grass tussocks, right down in the centre or just at the side. The 

 principal grass used in the construction of the nests was meadow- 

 fog, which is soft and pliable. Some of the nests had a capping 

 of green moss. One was warmly lined with fur, and several were 

 made cosy with feathers. The nest cavity was shallow, except 

 in one instance, where the nest was built among reeds growing 



