THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
marked with white on the inner webs near the tips ; upper and under tail-coverts 
yellowish-buff, like the middle of the abdomen and vent ; fore-part of head blackish- 
brown with pale margins to the feathers, which imparts a scaled appearance ; lores 
and sides of face dusky with whitish shaft-lines and tips to the feathers ; throat 
and middle of breast greyish-white with dark bases to the feathers ; sides of neck 
and sides of body yellowish olive-green, becoming darker on the thighs ; under 
wing-coverts and axillaries greyish-white ; under-surface of flight-quills dark 
brown with pale margins ; lower aspect of tail blackish-brown, becoming paler 
at the tip. Eyes white, feet brownish, bill black. Total length 98 mm. ; culmen 8, 
wing 61, tail 42, tarsus 20. Figured. Collected 20 miles north of Adelaide, South 
Australia, on the 24th of April, 1913, and is the type of Acanthiza rosinae. 
Adult female similar to the adult male. 
Nest and eggs not described. 
Captain S. A. White has written me : “ G. h. rosince. At first one wonders 
why this bird should have remained so near the City of Adelaide and yet be 
undiscovered so long, but when the bird’s habits are taken into consideration 
it is easily seen how it was overlooked. I found them fairly plentiful along the 
coastline some twenty miles north of Adelaide. The country is situated inside 
a deep fringe of Mangroves and at high tide is partly covered in salt water 
which follows inland many small watercourses. Along these thick samphire 
bushes grow. While making my way along one of these watercourses I was 
surprised to see several small dark Acanthizas dart from one bush to another. 
Directly I secured one I knew it was a new bird. They were extremely shy 
and kept very close to cover, in fact one could trample the low bushes down 
before they would come out. They live entirely upon insects. I have not yet 
been able to discover their nest. Mr. F. Parsons of Adelaide has shown me 
a specimen taken by him in the samphire country on Yorke’s Peninsula which 
I have every reason to believe is the same species.” 
Mr. Edwin Ashby states : “ This little Tit is not uncommon in the Marsh 
Samphire Flats throughout this State. Near St. Kilda on the marshy flats it 
is easily flushed but keeps entirely to the Samphire (iScilicornia) where it is 
growing about two feet high. The birds are very quiet and rather shy.” 
Captain White’s published account is more complete than the above note 
and I may add : “ It is common to see small parties of these birds, from five 
bo six up to twenty or more, in the winter months, diligently searching amongst 
the samphire bushes or hopping smartly over the damp soil in search of insect 
life. I found them easily alarmed, and able to avoid pursuit by splitting up into 
ones and twos and doubling back in the opposite direction to that in which they 
were travelling. When alighting they invariably disappeared in the bushes. 
They pair in the late spring. Flight. — Weak and never sustained for long. 
When feeding and moving from one place to another a slow jerky flight of a few 
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