SPINIFEX BIRD. 
to some of the feathers. Bill brown, lower mandible leaden-grey ; feet and tarsus 
light brown ; eyes brown. Total length 154 mm. ; culrnen 12, wing 56, tail 71, 
tarsus 15. Figured. Collected at Hall Creek, Kimberley Gold-fields, North-west 
Australia, on the 20th of July, 1909. 
Adult male. Similar to adult female. 
Nest. “ Cup-shaped, substantially built of finely shredded grass or herbage and lined 
with fine roots and placed in a bunch of spinifex. Measurements across 5| inches 
by 2\ deep over all ; egg cavity 2\ inches by 1| inches ” (H. L. White). 
Eggs. “ Clutch two ; ground colour pinkish-white, closely covered all over and particularly 
at the larger ends with minute markings of pale lilac and purplish-brown and from 
fight to dark reddish-brown.” Dimensions 17-18 mm. by 12 ” (ib.). 
Breeding-season. August (Barrow Island) (ib.). 
The discoverer of this beautiful form, Mr. Tom Carter, has given me the 
following account : “ April 13th, 1898, was, I believe, the date upon which 
I first shot specimens of the Desert-Bird, although they had often attracted 
my attention on previous occasions, as they flew from one large bunch of 
‘ Buck Spinifex ’ to another. These ‘ first procured ’ birds were shot in 
brushes of large Spinifex on the Mandoo-mandoo Creek on the west side of 
the North-west Cape, and about forty miles north of Point Cloates. One 
of the above birds was forwarded to Mr. A. J. Campbell for his opinion as 
I thought it was quite a new species, but he replied that it was only a Tawny 
Grass-Bird, and that Mr. Robert Hall agreed with him. I was not satisfied 
so I sent specimens to Mr. A. J. North, who determined them to belong to a 
new genus as well as being a new species. On many subsequent occasions 
Desert-Birds were observed and procured on various parts of the North-west 
Cape Peninsula, north of the Yardie Creek. Rather curiously they were never 
seen south of that creek, but doubtless they occur on that side. They are 
to be found mostly in Spinifex ( Triodia ) but are also seen in low $brub 
composed of salt bush, etc., at the foot of the ranges. They were nowhere 
abundant, but in the course of a half-day’s drive through the scrub, on the 
flat below ranges sometimes four or six birds might be flushed as the buggy^ 
went along, at other times none would be seen. When disturbed, the birds 
fly to other cover, a short distance away, often only a, few yards, with rapidly 
fluttering wings, and tail expanded and drooping. After once being flushed, 
it is difficult to ‘ rise ’ the bird a second time. On one occasion I shot at, 
and wounded a bird, which fluttered into a bunch of Spinifex, out of which grew 
a small scrubby bush. After a long and unsuccessful search for it, I systemati- 
cally pulled up by the roots and threw on one side, all the Spinifex bush, dead 
leaves, etc., until nothing remained but one branch about one inch in diameter, 
that grew pressing along the ground. My native horse-boy had been keeping 
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