THE BIRDS OE AUSTRALIA. 
Mr Tom Carter has given me the following account : “ The Westralian 
Emu- Wren appears to be restricted to the south-west, occurring commonly 
m the coastal scrubs and swamps, where its presence can be easily over- 
looked unless one is aware of the bird’s seclusive habits. The number of 
residents in districts where Emu-Wrens are common, who have ever noticed 
their presence, is really remarkably few. These birds, however, are to be 
met with on open, sand-plain country. In December, 1902, a farmer friend 
of mine residing at the Vasse River, who takes an interest in bird life, 
tried to describe to me some curious small birds that he had never pre- 
viously seen, and which he had noticed on a sand-plain in that neighbourhood. 
We rode out next day to try and identify them, and while riding about 
the place where he had seen them, a small bird darted from some low 
scrub, and flew rapidly and strongly for about two hundred yards. I 
dismounted, and advancing with my gun, flushed it again. A snapshot 
on its second flight proved it to be an Emu-Wren. This species was also 
shot on similar sand-plain, east of Broome Hill, on July 25, 1908, and I 
have got specimens on similar open country close to the coast near Albany, 
but swampy scrub-land is their favourite habitat. This bird appears to be 
much less numerous now about Albany than it was ten years ago. Probably 
wild domestic cats are responsible for this, also bush fires. A male bird I once 
procured at Albany measured 7§ inches in length. 
Mr. Tom Carter’s recent notes on the different forms are here quoted : 
The Dirk Hartog Emu-Wren is another most interesting discovery made 
on that island last year, because, so far as is known at present, this island 
form is not a connecting link between Stipiturus m. westernensis of the extreme 
south-west corner of Western Australia (about 600 miles to the south) and 
Stipiturus m. ruficeps, which occurs 250 miles north on the North-west Cape 
Peninsula, and so far has not been recorded south of there. The subspecies 
under consideration is quite distinct from either of the above, and was only 
observed on Dirk Hartog. When riding towards the north end of the island 
with Mr. Lloyd on 27th April, 1916, I was so much struck with the great 
probability of the prevailing scrub containing Emu-Wrens, that I asked 
Mr. Lloyd if he had ever seen any there, and described the general appearance 
of the birds. Mr. Lloyd replied that he thought he had noticed such birds, 
and as he was riding ahead of me, he promised to keep a look out for any. 
On the afternoon of the second day (April 28th), he stopped and shouted that 
he thought he saw a pair of the birds creeping about in the lower part of a 
small wattle bush. One of them was soon secured, a male, differing from 
any Emu- Wren previously handled by me ; and further on our way the same 
afternoon three more specimens were obtained. No more of the birds were 
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