LITTLE FIELD-WREN. 
inner webs ; upper tail-coverts ochreous ; middle tail-feathers hair-brown, darker 
on the outer ones which are blackish on the subapical portion and tipped with 
white ; eyelids and a line along the sides of the crown whitish like the feathers 
behind the ear-coverts ; cheeks and ear-coverts hair-brown with slightly paler 
shaft lines to the feathers ; throat, breast, abdomen, and sides of body yellowish- 
white streaked with black, more broadly on the throat, breast, sides of body and 
almost absent on the abdomen ; lower flanks and under tail-coverts pale buff ; 
under wing-coverts and inner margins of quills below whitish ; remainder of quill- 
lining greyish-brown ; lower aspect of tail blackish-brown with white tips to the 
feathers. Bill dark brown ; feet and legs light slate ; eyes chocolate. Total 
length 115 mm. ; culmen 7, wing 62, tail 46, tarsus 21. Figured. Collected at 
Mitcham, Victoria, on the 6th of August, 1910, and is the type of Chthonicola 
sagiltata inexpectata. 
The sexes are alike. 
“ Young birds resemble the adults in colour, but have the head of a duller brown 
and not so distinctly streaked ; there is a dull rufous-fawn eyebrow and the blackish 
markings to the feathers on the under-surface are smaller and more tear-shaped 
in form.” (North.) 
N est. In a depression, dome shaped, with side entrance. Composed of grass and placed 
on the ground, lined with different kinds of soft material. Measurements 4to4| 
inches wide by 3 to 31 long. Entrance one inch. 
Eggs. Clutch, three to four. Ground-colour glossy reddish-brown with a darker zone at 
the larger end. 18-19 mm. ; 15-17. 
Breeding-season. September to January. 
This bird was named Anthus minimus by Vigors and Horsfield when they 
described the Australian birds in the collection of the Linnean Society, but 
nothing was mentioned as to the collector, locality or habits. Gould again 
determined it as a distinct genus and later the examination of the Lambert 
drawings enabled the recognition of the species as Latham’s Streaked- Warbler, 
Sylvia sagittata. The Watling note reads : “ This bird sings remarkably well.” 
Gould only recorded : “ This pretty little bird is usually seen on the ground 
in small companies of five or six in number, and is so very tame in disposition 
as to admit of the nearest approach, and when flushed merely flits off to the 
distance of a few yards. Its distribution, so far as we yet know, is confined to 
New South Wales and South Australia, in both of which countries it is a 
stationary and abundant species. It is very active in its actions, passing with 
great celerity over the gravelly ridges of the ground beneath the shade of the 
apple- and gum-trees.” 
Mr. Thos. P. Austin’s notes read : “ Sparingly distributed through the 
scrubs and heavier timbered areas, preferring such localities -Where there are 
plenty of logs and fallen branches lying about. It is a resident species, usually 
met with in pairs in low bushes or feeding upon the ground, over which if hops 
in search of its food. I have never seen it in clear open country. As a rule 
they are not at all shy, but become a little restless if closely approached, when 
