THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Melville Island, Northern Territory, on the 9th of January, 1912, and is the type of 
Acrocephalus australis melvillensis. The sexes are alike. 
Immature somewhat like the adult. 
J uvenile. General colour of the upper-surface russet-brown, darker and inclining to dark 
hair-brown on the wing where many of the feathers are only partially developed. 
Throat, breast, and sides of body buff. Middle of abdomen and vent white. Eyes 
deep brown, bill horn, with yellow base ; feet brown. Collected at Lake Matilda, 
West Australia, on the 4th of November, 1911. 
Nest. Situated in the reeds of which two to five are woven with the nest. Composed 
of grass and thistledown and lined with the former material. Measurements out- 
side 7 inches deep by 4 inches wide. Inside 2 by 2 to 2|- wide (five nests examined). 
Eggs. Clutch, three to four. Ground-colour buffish -white, freckled and spotted with 
reddish and light-brown and lavender. 20 mm. by 14-16. 
Breeding-season. September to February. 
This bird was figured by Lewin but no Latin name was imposed, so that 
it remained for Gould to add the specific australis as hereafter related. 
Gould wrote : “ This bird does not inhabit Tasmania, but is universally 
dispersed among the sedgy sides of rivers and lagoons both in South Australia 
and New South Wales ; I also observed it in great abundance on the banks 
of the rivers to the northward of Liverpool Plains ; in all these localities it is 
strictly migratory, arriving in September and departing again before the 
commencement of winter. In its general economy it closely resembles its 
European congeners, but possesses a still louder and more melodious song than 
any of them, except the C. turdoides. It is rather a late breeder, scarcely ever 
beginning this natural duty before the month of November. The food consists 
of insects of various kinds.” The western race was separated as a distinct 
species, and of this he recorded: “It is a native of the western portion of the 
country, where I learn from Gilbert’s notes that ‘ it is to be found in all the 
dense reed-beds bordering the rivers and lakes round Perth, but it is so shy 
that it scarcely ever shows itself above the reeds. I have remarked also that 
it never wanders many yards from the nest. It sings both night and day, 
and its strain is more beautiful and melodious than that of any other Australian 
bird with which I am acquainted, being in many parts very like that of the 
far-famed Nightingale of Europe. The stomach is tolerably muscular, and 
the food consists of coleopterous and other kinds of insects.’ ” 
McClymont, in “Forgotten Feathers,” in the Emu, Vol. V., p. 211, 1906, 
recalled de Vlaming’s record of hearing the Nightingale’s song and referred to 
the extract above, observing : “ It is in all probability the bird whose song 
was heard by the explorers.” Of this there seems to be little or no doubt, 
so that this bird probably holds claims to be the first Australian passerine 
bird to attract the notice of European travellers who were not naturalists, 
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