THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
to one there you will find her nest. The species is double-brooded, the breeding 
season commencing early in July and lasting till the beginning of October. 
If this bird lived in agricultural districts it would be a useful little friend to 
the farmer and orchardist, as it devours numbers of grubs and caterpillars, as 
I have myself witnessed.” 
When Milligan described this fine new species he wrote : “ Belongs to 
the genus Acanthiza, and to that section where (a) the dark tail band occupies 
nearly the terminal half of the feather, and (b) the base of the tail is bright 
coloured like the rump and upper tail-coverts. The bill is remarkably robust 
for an Acanthiza. The general colour of the upper-surface is much more sombre 
than with the Acanthizce generally. The head, neck and upper mantle of the 
male bird are bluish-grey, with black longitudinal striations, some of the feathers 
of the forehead showing hoary-grey sections, and producing a rigid 4 lined ’ 
appearance. The 4 scaling ’ or shell marked feathers of the fore-head, present 
in many members of the genus, are absent in this one. The subscular and 
auricular regions are evenly and regularly rippled.” Later, describing the 
nestling, he added : 44 The most notable feature in the nestlings is the absence 
of the ‘ shell ’ or ‘ scale ’ markings on the fore-head, which are present in the 
nestlings of A. uropygialis and A. tenuirostris. On the other hand, the 4 ripple ’ 
markings present on the cheeks of the adult are also present on the nestlings.” 
When Captain S. A. White described his A. mariance he observed : 44 After 
entering the granite country west of Indulkana Range, this new Acanthiza was 
met with. It was fairly plentiful in the thick mulga scrubs which extend 
between the Musgrave and Everard Ranges. In some cases this was the only 
bird found in these dense, waterless solitudes.” 
I separated the bird from Liberia Soak as being darker than the typical 
form, and later I named the Everard Range form ignorant of the fact that 
Captain White had already done so. 
I admit at present only a western and eastern race as : 
Milligania rohustirostris robustirostris (Milligan). 
Central Western Australia. 
Milligania robustirostris mariance (S. A. White). 
Central Australia (Everard Ranges). 
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