THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
is seen as it keeps to reeds and rushes. It sings both night and day, but is 
always shy. Feeds on insects and mollusca gathered from the reeds and out 
of the mud.” 
Mr. F. E. Howe wrote : “At Tailem Bend the opposite side of the River 
Murray had a low bank fringed with bulrushes, and there must have been 
thousands of these silver-throated songsters pouring out their evensong.” 
Regarding the occurrence and habits of this species in West Australia 
Mr. Tom Carter has given me the following account : “ The occurrence of the 
Pale Long-billed Reed-Wren was only twice recorded by me : the first occasion 
was in June 1900, the record wet year, when I saw and heard several in the 
dense rushes in a pool at Winning Telegraph ’Office, about 80 miles south- 
east of Point Cloates. I failed to procure any specimens, as a teamster drove 
a mob of horses right into the pool just as I had got my gun out of the buggy, 
and I was unable to remain at that camp any time. On March 25, 1902, an 
immature male bird was shot while it was singing in dense rushes and grass, 
on the edge of a fresh-water pool on my inland station, about 60 miles south- 
east of Point Cloates. The dark form is common in the rushes of the large 
swamps through the south-west. I have heard them in suburbs of Perth 
and lakes in the vicinity of Monger’s Lake. Also at the Vasse (Busselton), 
Lake Muir, Albany, etc. These birds were very numerous in large fresh- water 
lakes near Lake Muir. They keep constantly over the water in the thick 
growth of rushes, and were never seen on land. Their loud cheerful songs 
are heard as long as the sun is shining, but if it clouds over they remain silent. 
They keep low down in the rushes and are seldom seen. Their alarm note 
is a sharp 6 Chat-chat.’ ” 
Whitlock wrote from the Stirling Ranges : “ When camped near Lake 
Mathilda my attention was attracted by the harsh and guttural notes of a 
local Reed-Warbler. I had hitherto regarded the notes of this bird as 
amongst the sweetest uttered by our native songsters, but these Lake 
Mathilda birds could hardly be called songsters when their efforts were con- 
trasted with those of Swan River or other Reed- War biers heard further north. 
Lake Mathilda, however, was exceptionally high, and things were not 
improved by a further fall of 5 inches of rain in 48 hours whilst I was camped 
there. Though it was the first week in November, building operations were 
hardly in full swing. . . . Possibly the harsh notes had been learned from 
the swarms of frogs inhabiting the lake ; but the matter is worthy of the 
attention of any other ornithologist who may visit the locality.” 
Campbell and Barnard have recorded : “A few birds were observed 
in the long grass and reeds of Kirrama Creek, close to Kirrama homestead 
on the tableland. Time, about end of October. Dr. Ramsay noted these 
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