TAWNY GRASS-BIRD. 
Hill has written from Kimberley, North-west Australia : “ On my arrival 
at the station, in the middle of October, the Tawny Grass was one of the first 
species to attract my attention. About a dozen birds inhabited a patch of 
very luxuriant swamp grass on the edge of the small area of tropical forest ; 
but, owing to the height of most of the grass (6 or 7 feet) I had to confine my 
observations to a few pairs and some odd birds inhabiting shorter growths. 
Having doubts as to their identity, I determined to spare no effort to secure 
eggs, for I felt sure the nesting-season was approaching, if it had not already 
arrived. I found that the mated birds never moved far from a given point, 
and that I could rely upon finding them within a few yards of the same place 
day after day. When cautiously approaching the domain of a pair, the first 
intimation of their presence would be two sharp notes and the rustling of 
dry leaves as the birds crept through the matted grass down to the ground. 
An attempt to flush the bird from its hiding-place would bring all hope of 
further observations to an end, but, if absolute stillness were maintained for 
perhaps fifteen minutes, the rustling would be renewed, and presently the bird 
would appear for an instant, utter its pleasing notes once more, and again 
disappear from sight, leaving only the sound of its movements in the grass 
to warn the watcher of its approach. After a few re-appearances in this 
manner its curiosity would get the better of its judgment, and it would hop 
and flutter to a higher position in the grass, survey the intruder for a moment 
at short range, and then finally disappear. The unattached birds do not 
remain within such a limited area, and show far less desire to conceal them- 
selves. It struck me as a remarkable fact that these unattached birds were 
nearly always found in company with one or two Grass- Warblers. Neither 
species confines itself to open grass flats, for I have frequently watched them, 
both separately and in company, feeding on the ground amongst ferns growing 
in the densest patches of forest, where the light was so dull that it was not 
easy to follow their movements. After spending so much time, and suffering not 
a little from mosquitoes, in this swampy locality I was disappointed to find that 
the Grass-birds had all left the district about 17th November. A few days later 
the last of the Grass- Warblers had gone also. On 13th May the first Megalurus 
returned with their young, and were followed by the Gisticola one month later.” 
When I prepared my “ Reference List ” in 1912 I determined Malurus 
galactotes Temminck, as quoted above, to refer to some other bird and, therefore, 
described the present species as Megalurus alisteri, admitting three forms, viz. : 
Megalurus alisteri alisteri Mathews. 
North-west Australia and Northern Territory. 
Megalurus alisteri dulciei Mathews. 
North Queensland. 
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