272 On the Striated Field- Wren. 



incubated eggs of a reddish tint, with a large patch of 

 purplish black all over the apex, then lighter dusky spots, 

 and more of these scattered about the remainder of the shell. 

 One of the clutch was much lighter than the other two — 

 almost whitish. Two of them had practically the same 

 measurements, approxinuitcly '87 x '08 inch ; the third egg 

 was accidentally fractured. 



The eggs are usually three in number, of a reddish-brown 

 tint, with a zone of purplish brown about the apex, and 

 some scattered indistinct spots besides. 



The lower lip of the nest-entrance protruded beyond the 

 upper. 



While its abode was under examination the male bird 

 sang furiously from the top of a piece of scrub, evidently 

 with the wish to distract my attention. 



In some cases an old nest already in the heart of a 

 tussock appears to form a base for the new one, so as to 

 raise the latter well oft' the marshy surface of the plain ; 

 often the top of the entrance appears to overhang and form 

 eaves to cast off rain or hail and keep the opening dry and 

 snug. The walls of the sti-ucture are usually thick and 

 closely woven, as indeed they need to be, for incubation is 

 often carried on during the cold wet months of early 

 spring. 



Just before the middle of September I saw two young 

 Field-Wrens making their way through a scrub of small 

 tea-tree in charge of their parents, the example of which 

 they followed most worthily in slipping out of sight in the 

 quickest possible time. At the end of the same month I 

 found three young which had lately left the nest and were 

 concealed in some low scrub. The old birds laboured hard 

 to draw me away from the spot, but at length I was 

 successful in flushing the young, which lay A'ery closely in 

 cover. AVheu disturbed, two of them flew a few yards 

 before dropping into another scrub-patch, while the third 

 remained concealed until almost trodden upon, when it 

 made off in a different direction. They appeared to be of a 

 generally darker hue than the parents, their plumage being 



