202 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
Nest . — A bulky, bottle-shaped structure, composed of dried grasses, 
bark, and leaves ; lined with grass, leaves, and feathers, and sometimes 
fur. Generally built in tall grass, in a bush, or in a pandanus palm- 
tree. 
Eggs —Five to eight, white. Breeding-season : August to December, 
and often as late as March, April, and May. 
19. Pale Crimson Finch Neochmia albiventer Mathews — 19A. Female 
d-bi-veri-tcr — L., albus, white; L., venter , belly. 
Distribution. — Northern Queensland (the middle of Cape York 
Peninsula). 
Notes.— Also called White-bellied Crimson Finch. Usually in pairs 
or flocks, frequenting tall grass and pandanus palm-trees bordering water- 
courses and swamps. It is similar in habits to the Crimson Finch, boo . 
seeds of grasses and other plants, also termites, which it catches while on 
the wing. 
Nest .—Similar to that of the Crimson Finch. 
Eggs. — Like those of the Crimson Finch, the breeding-period likewise. 
20. Golden-headed Fantail-warbler Cisticola exilis Vigors and Hors- 
fi e ld — 20A. Male in winter plumage. 
Cis-tic-o-la — L., cistus, a plant; L., colere , to inhabit: ex -l -lis L., exilis, 
slender. 
Distribution. — Australia (except the south-western portion) , Tas- 
mania, and King Island ; also occurs in New Guinea, the Molucca Islands, 
Philippine Islands, Formosa, and south-eastern Asia. 
Notes. — Also called Grass-warbler, Fantail-warbler, Exiled Warbler, 
Corn-bird, and Barley-bird. Usually in pairs, frequenting reed-beds 
swampy areas, heath-lands, and standing grain-crops. It has an animated 
but squeaky song, generally uttered while perched near the top of a reed, 
or on a high twig. Food : insects of various kinds. 
Nest —A small, dome-shaped structure with an entrance near the top, 
composed of very fine grasses, coated with plant down and cobwebs woven 
together; often several leaves are carefully worked on to the outer portion 
of the structure ; lined with plant down. Generally built among tall grass, 
in a tuft of rushes, in a plant sheltered by grass, and frequently in cul- 
tivated crops. 
Eggs. Three or four, bluish-green, spotted and blotched with 
reddish-brown or purplish-brown markings, chiefly on the larger end, 
where a zone is often formed. Breeding-season : October to February. 
21. Little Grass-bird Megalurus gramineus Gould 
Meg-al-ur'-us — Gk, megas ( megalos ), large; Gk, ura ( oura ), tail: gram- 
in'-e-us— L., gramineus, grassy. 
Distribution. — Extra-tropical Australia, from north-western Australia 
to Tasmania. 
