THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
that of a Sericornis. It was of the semi-domed type, and was resting very 
low down in large dead bush.” 
When Captain S. A. White visited West Australia in 1921 he collected in 
the Cape Naturaliste Region and wrote “ Sericornis maculatus. A common 
bird in the thick, dwarf vegetation along the coastline. Mr. M’Gilp found three 
nests, all containing young. I fancied this bird to be different from S. m. 
osculans, but upon comparing a series I find it would be impossible to separate 
them, so that maculata has a wide range.” 
Captain S. A. White has written me : “ S. maculatus osculans. This bird 
is fairly plentiful amongst the mangroves along the Port Adelaide River, and 
I have met with it in the Mangroves north of St. Kilda and at Pondalowie 
Bay on Yorke’s Peninsula. It is a timid little bird and at the slightest noise 
retreats into the densest part of the mangroves ; curiosity over-rides its timidity 
and if one keeps perfectly quiet and makes any plaintive whistle it will gradually 
come closer and closer till it approaches within a few feet, but break a twig 
or move the body and in a moment the bird is lost sight of. S. m. mellori. 
During my many journeys through Eyre’s Peninsula this bird was found to 
be quite plentiful in many localities where plenty of undergrowth abounds. 
Although the bird was found inland still it seemed more partial to the coastline ; 
in habits and notes it resembles S. m. osculans. S. m. ashbyi. This is not a 
plentiful bird on Kangaroo Island and is very shy. I have met with it on 
the ironstone ridge in the centre of the island amongst the Yarras as well as 
in the tea-trees near the coast. Habits and note resemble those of other 
Sericornis .” 
Dr. Cleland wrote : “ S. maculata in the tea-tree scrub, Adelaide, is somewhat 
like Malurus cyanochlamys in its habits. It flies when frightened from the low 
salt bush and hops up the tea-tree. The note, too, is not unlike at its onset, 
but is more of a scissor-grinding note. Irides white ; food worms chiefly.” 
When Captain S. A. White described S. maculatus rymilli he observed: 
“ This new subspecies was fairly numerous on Wedge Island ; its habits seemed 
identical with other members of the genus. I have collected specimens from 
the nearest point of the mainland (Pondalowie Bay) which is under 20 miles 
distant from Wedge Island. These birds from the mainland are much darker, 
and agree with the typical Sericornis m. osculans from Port Adelaide. Specimens 
from Eyre Peninsula ( Sericornis m. mellori) from the other side of the island, 
are before me, and the above new subspecies differs from them in being much 
lighter and not nearly so strongly marked.” 
Previous to the preparation of my “ Reference List ” all West Australian 
birds had been classed as Sericornis maculatus without subspecies, while Grant 
had named an island form as Sericornis balstoni, and the relationship of 
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