RUFOUS-CROWNED EMU-WREN. 
becoming darker and inclining to cinnamon rnfous on the breast, abdomen and 
sides of body ; somewhat paler on the under tail-coverts ; under wing-coverts pale 
cinnamon ; under-surface of flight-quills hair-brown ; lower aspect of tail similar 
to its upper surface. Eyes reddish-brown ; bill horn-colour ; feet and legs fleshy. 
Total length 115 mm. ; culmen 8, wing 37, tail broken, tarsus 17. Collected at 
Point Cloates, Mid-west Australia in December 31st, 1900. 
Nestling. General colour of the upper-surface dark rust-brown, including the top of the 
head, sides of the face, entire back, and tail ; the wings paler than the back and 
inclining to chestnut with dark shaft-lines to the feathers, which widen out towards 
the tips ; rictal-bristles black and strongly developed ; chin, throat, breast, abdomen, 
sides of body, under tail-coverts, and under wing-coverts pale buff, somewhat 
darker on the lower flanks and thighs ; under-surface of flight-quills dark brown 
with buff margins ; lower aspect of tail similar to its upper-surface but paler. Bill 
dark horn : gape yellowish, feet and legs pale brown, eyes deep brown. Collected 
at East Murchison, West Australia, on the 12th of November, 1909. 
Nest. “ An oval structure, with entrance at the side, like the nest of Malurus. Composed 
of fine bark, grass, and spiders’ webs, lined with feathers and flowers of shrubs.” 
(H. L. White.) 
Eggs. Clutch two. White, possessing a very slight trace of pinkish-buff, well marked 
all over, particularly at the larger end, with spots and specks of reddish-brown, 
intermingled with a few of light amber. 
Breeding- season. October. 
Mr. Tom Carter, the discoverer of this bird, writes : “ The Rufous-crowned 
Wren was first met with by me on April 14, 1898, about 38 miles north of 
Point Cloates, and was described from these specimens by Mr. A. J. Campbell. 
There is, however, no doubt, that birds of this species were obtained by 
Mr. G. A. Keartland in 1896 (1897 ?) at Separation Well (600 miles east 
of Point Cloates), when with the Calvert Exploring Expedition, but the 
skins, unfortunately, had to be abandoned in the ‘ desert.’ These wrens 
were observed on various parts of the North-west Cape Peninsula, but were 
nowhere abundant. They seemed to be very partial to spinifex country, 
especially where the ‘ buck ’ variety grew. It was always a wonderful 
sight to me to see a party of these birds fly headlong into a large 
bunch of spinifex, without any of them being impaled on the innumerable 
needle points. Sometimes, after being previously disturbed, a bird would 
remain in the midst of a bunch, and by removing the growth piecemeal 
(a most unpleasant task) one could catch it alive. On one occasion, some 
natives and myself caught one, after a sharp chase, owing to its becoming 
soaked with wet. The birds were also noted on low scrub on flat country, 
away from spinifex, on several occasions. No nest was ever found, but a 
brood of recently fledged young, accompanied by parents, was seen on 
Sept. 6, 1900. This species goes about in small family parties, uttering a 
high-pitched squeaking note. They were never seen to fly more than a Tew 
147 
