Order PASSERIFORMES. 
Family SYLVIIDM. 
SERICORNIS TYRANNULUS. 
NORTHERN SCRUB-WREN. 
Sericornis tyrannula I)e Vis, Annals Queensl. Mus., No. 6, p. 42, Sept. 1905 : Charleville, 
Queensland. 
Sericornis tyrannula Re Vis, Annals Queensl. Mus., No. 6, p. 42, 1905 ; Mathews, Handl. 
Birds Austral., p. 77, 1908 ; id., Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 356, 1912 ; id., List 
Birds Austr., p. 222, 1913 ; id., Austr. Av. Rec., Vol. II., pt. 7, p. 135, 1915. 
Re Vis described this bird as follows : — 
General colour of upper-surface rufous-brown, graduating from brown anteriorly 
to bright rufous posteriorly. Head and nape brown, uniform on the forehead. 
Wings rufescent brown, median coverts edged with rufous ; greater coverts blackish- 
brown, forming a dark rectangular blotch on the wing ; primaries broadly edged 
with pale rufous, in certain lights with rufescent grey ; mantle and scapulars 
rufescent brown, the rufous tint predominant on the lower back. Upper tail- 
coverts, bright rufous ; middle tail-feathers rufous-brown, the others dusky-grey, 
permeated by the dark band of the under-surface. Lores and cheeks subrufescent, 
the latter mottled with dark grey ; ear-coverts rufescent with pale shaft-streaks. 
Palbearal streak dark in front, rufous in centre, pale posteriorly. Chin, throat, 
upper breast and flanks, pale rufous passing into dusky- white on the lower breast 
and abdomen ; vent dusky-brown ; under tail-coverts bright rufous : tail with 
a black transverse band, occupying the third quarter from the base ; thighs and 
under-wings pale rufous ; bill, legs and feet dead straw-colour. Total length, 
85 mm., culmen imperfect, wing 50, tail 42, tarsus 21. Tail rounded, four stiff 
bristles at the gape. Locality, Charleville. Collector, R. Broadbent. 
writing “The Scrub- Wren under view appears to be easily distinguishable by its 
diminutive size and rufous under-tail from those of its fellow species^' which, 
like it, have the dark band on the tail ” and added “ There is but one example 
of this bird and that of unknown sex. It is not at all unlikely that when it is 
better known it will be referred to another genus.” 
The description reads like that of a Crateroscelis , a New Guinea genus 
with a superficial resemblance to Sericornis, but with coloration agreeing with 
the one given by Re Vis in general. The genus has a broader bill which would 
have attracted attention, but Re Vis writes “ culmen imperfect.” In most 
other respects it agrees, but there is at present no recourse as the type is missing. 
I looked for it wfhen in Queensland a few years ago and was compelled to record : 
“ Unfortunately the unique example was lost, and so I am not able to 
make any remarks about it.” 
No other specimen has yet been met with. 
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