SPHENCEACUS GALACTOTES. 
Tawny Spheneeacus. 
Malurus galactotes, Temm. PL Col., 65. 
Meg alums galactotes, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. TVans., vol. xv. p. 228. 
This is a scarce species in New South Wales, the few individuals I have seen being from the grassy 
districts of the Liverpool Plains; in all probability, however, it ranges along the eastern and over the 
whole of the northern portion of Australia. Mr. Gilbert’s notes inform me that he found it “ tolerably 
abundant on the islands at the head of Van Diemen’s Gulf, where it inhabits the long grass or rushes 
growing in or adjacent to the swamps ; it is so shy that it is very rarely seen ; when closely hunted it takes 
wing, but flying appears to be a difficult action at all times ; at least I have never seen it sustain a 
flight of more than a hundred yards at the utmost, and even in that short distance it seemed ready to sink 
into the grass with fatigue. The only note I have heard it emit is a harsh and rapidly repeated cliutch. The 
stomachs of those I dissected were extremely muscular, and contained the remains of insects of various 
kinds and what appeared to be vegetable fibres.” 
General plumage pale brown, deepening into rufous on the crown of the head and fading into dull white 
on the throat and centre of the abdomen ; all the feathers of the upper surface with blackish brown centres ; 
secondaries blackish brown, broadly margined with pale brown ; tail pale brown, crossed with indistinct 
bars of a darker tint ; irides light brown ; upper mandible olive-brown, the cutting edges light yellowish 
white ; lower mandible bluish white ; tarsi and feet light reddish flesh-colour. 
The figures are of the natural size. 
