196 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



traveller may often spare himself a large amount of inconvenience, 

 and sometimes overcome serious difficulties. Thus, about an 

 hour after sunrise, and again at sunset, flocks of Rose-breasted 

 Cockatoos, Gacatua roseicapilla, Leadbeater's Cockatoo, G. 

 leadbeateri, followed by the Bronzewing Pigeon, Phaps chalcoptera, 

 travelling in one direction indicate that by following the same 

 course water may be found, but often at too great a distance to 

 reach. It is different, however, with the Crested Bronzewing 

 Pigeon, Ocyphaps lophotes, and Chestnut-eared Finch, Tcenio- 

 pygict castanotis, or Little Turtle Dove, Geopelia cuneata, which 

 are seldom more than a few miles from some native well or 

 rockhole, and can often be followed to their watering place. On 

 the other hand, the Striated Wren, Amytis striatus, and Emu 

 Wren, Stipiturus malachurtts, are found enjoying life, singing and 

 breeding, where no other form of bird life exists, deriving their 

 sustenance from the spiders, bees, and ants which abound 

 amongst the spinifex grass, Triodia irritans. 



As some of the birds mentioned are also found in more 

 hospitable regions, perhaps it will be acceptable to furnish a 

 short note on some of the species found in the desert, and such 

 peculiarities as attracted notice, beginning with those which select 

 the dry country. 



i. Spotted Nightjar, Eurostopodus argus. — Across the 

 whole of tropical Australia the singular notes of these birds may 

 be heard soon after nightfall, and immediately a fire is started 

 they come circling round in pursuit of the numerous Coleoptera 

 attracted by the light, but retire to the rocky hills to pass the day 

 on the ground, where they also breed, laying a single egg, but 

 making no nest. Owing to the expanse of their wings and their 

 small bodies they fly for hours without fatigue. 



2. Striated Wren, Amytis striatus.— Owing to the extreme 

 shyness of this wren, and its activity in running between the 

 spinifex tussocks it is impossible to learn much of its economy 

 without shooting the bird, which is no simple matter. Although 

 furnished with short, rounded wings they possess very strongly 

 developed legs, and carry as much flesh on the thighs as on the 

 breast. During September and October, 1896, I found many of 

 their nests, containing either eggs or young, at least 100 miles from 

 the nearest known water, in country too dry for either the native 

 or dingo to exist. The nests were built of grass strippings, 

 somewhat similarly to those of the Maluri, but with very large 

 openings, always facing the east, and placed on top of a spinifex 

 tussock. When the nest was approached the bird simply jumped 

 to the ground and ran off. The two white eggs are sparingly 

 sprinkled with light brown spots. Although during the Horn 

 Scientific and Calvert Exploring expeditions I observed hundreds 

 of these birds I never saw one fly a hundred yards. 



