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birds going to their roosting place and they were feeding as they went. 
When travelling late they run on the ground and do not fly. It was nearly 
dark and I could not distinguish the birds, but knew their call, and knew 
they were feeding because I could hear their bills snapping as they caught 
insects. These birds have a short squeaky call when feeding. Have seen one 
of these birds stay behind its companions when pursuing an insect ; suddenly 
it gave a call and listened, but got no reply ; it then got excited and flew 
round and then into a bush ; it then called again and listened, and repeated 
this several times but got no reply ; it then flew after its companions and 
alighted about twenty-five yards ahead of them and then called loudly; it 
was answered immediately and at that the bird commenced feeding again. 
September 16. Saw small family party with two males in full plumage. 
In other small lots seen there were no full-plumaged males. October 7. 
Saw four males in breeding plumage chasing each other round a bush ; they 
are very lively here now. November 10. When feeding, these birds 
frequent every situation. They are to be seen in tall trees, scrub, long or 
short grass, bare ground and dense tangle of vines, etc., on bank of Parry’s 
Creek. They are equally distributed over all classes of country, being found 
in numbers on open plains with hardly any bushes, in forest country, in the 
rank-grassed creek flats and the barren ranges, and seem at home everywhere. 
This species was very rare at Marngle Creek, but none was seen at Mungi. 
On my return trip the first of these birds was seen on Jegarra Creek at a point 
ten miles south of the Eitzroy River. I found them numerous along the 
banks of the Eitzroy River, usually in dense bushes or patches of cane grass 
. . . Melville Island, Cooper’s Camp. Nov. 20, 1911. This species is numerous 
and their habits the same as the birds at Derby and Wyndham. Dec. 10. 
Appears to be mating now. Dec. 20. 10 miles S.E. of Snake Bay. Are 
numerous here. Eeb. 6, 1912. Males are now in fine plumage in pairs. 
Ignoring the fundamental principles of species-recognition as utilised 
to-day, Sharpe considered that the North-western bird should bear the name 
dorsalis Lewin. Ramsay correctly rebuked him, writing : “ I cannot agree 
with Mr. Sharpe (Brit. Mus. Cat . Bds., Vol. IV., p. 297), that Lewin’s Sylvia 
dorsalis is identical with the present species ; Lewin’s birds came from 
N.S. Wales, being obtained on the Paterson River, and are undoubtedly the 
M alums melanocephlus, V. and H., as figured by Gould, fob Vol. III., pi. 26. 
The measurements also agree. Gould’s M. cruentatus is much smaller, and 
was obtained in N.W. Australia. I hold that M. Brownii, V. & H. (Trans. 
Linn Soc., Vol. XV., p. 223) may be the same as Gould’s M. cruentatus , but is 
certainly not Lewin’s Sylvia dorsalis. The facts are that Malurus melanoceph- 
alus has the back orange-red, and is found as far south as the Clarence and 
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