40 LOVE— Notes on AsKbyia lovensis. 



Notes on Ashbyia lovensis. 



By .1. R, B. Love. 



I first secured a solitary specimen of this bird at Leigh's 

 Creek late in the year 1910. On sending the skin to Mr. E. 

 Ashby, he at once perceived it to be a new species, in con- 

 sequence of which, after some hunting, I found a small flock 

 of about twenty of the birds inhabiting a very barren looking 

 stony ridge near Leigh's Creek. 



Two specimens were secured, one of which, when shot, 

 ran down a rabbit burrow, dying within three feet of the 

 entrance. This running down a rabbit burrow at first 

 seemed to be merely a chance, but, on further aquaintance 

 with this bird, it appears to be a distinct, though certainly 

 very curious trait of the species. 



With the three specimens before him, Mr. Ashby classed 

 this bird with the Ephthiamirae, naming it provisionally 

 EphtManura lovensis. Mi-. A. J. North did not concur in his 

 view that the Ibird is an Eplithianura, and named it Ashbyia. 

 lovensis. Their view lias farther been endorsed by Mr. 

 Gregory Mathews. 



While the bird may, and probably is, closely allied to 

 Epkihianura morphologically, in habits it is decidedly not an 

 EphtManura, but bears a close resemblance to AntJius Aus- 

 trails. The Ephthianurae live in small bushes, flitting from 

 bush to bush. 



Ashbyia lovensis runs on the ground, and at the conclu- 

 sion of a run, elevates and depresses the tail in the same 

 fashion as Anthus. I have never seen Ashbyia lovensis flit 

 from bush to bush, nor have I noticed it perched in a bush. 

 The favourite perch is on a small stone in an area of clear 

 ground, or upon a fence post, when it is found near a fence. 



After the first three skins were secured, a small boy at 

 Leigh's Creek caught an adult specimen of the bird, which 

 had run down a rabbit burrow. He took it home and placed 

 it in a cage with his canaries. The Ashbyia lovensis died on 

 the following day, and the boy's mother threw away the body, . 

 which was thus lost. 



This first flock soon left Leigh's Creek, and did not re- 

 appear up till the end of 1012, when I left the district. 



In December, 1010, I found the bird, in twos and threes, 

 fairly plentiful on the gibber plains between Hergott and 

 Killalpaninna, on Cooper's Creek. 



