GRASS-WREN. 
I measured a series sent me from the Perth Museum from Yalgoo and 
Day Dawn, and mine agree with Milligan’s as -wing 2*50-2-70 inches ; bill *5 inch, 
tail 3*45-3*90 and tarsus *8-*9 inches. 
Under the name Amytis textilis Gould, Mr. G. A. Keartland wrote : “I 
first saw these birds in June, 1894, at Idracowra [D. purnelli], in Central 
Australia. They were running about singly with tail erect, amongst the 
triodia tussocks, feeding on spiders and other insects. Whenever two birds 
came in contact they fought or chased each other. I shot three, all of which 
proved to be males. Probably their mates were busy with their eggs. These 
were the only specimens of the species I secured whilst with the Horn Scientific 
Exploring Expedition. Messrs. North and Zietz agreed in the identification. 
[Three female birds which I shot at Stokes’ Pass and which at first I thought 
belonged to this species were, on closer inspection and in view of their different 
habits and markings, separated by North as a new species ( modesta ) ]. Mr. C. E. 
Cowle afterwards shot several at their nests and forwarded the skins with their 
eggs. In 1898, I accompanied the Calvert Exploring Expedition through the 
Great Desert of West Australia. We started from Geraldton eastward, passing 
Cue and turned north near Lake Augusta. Throughout the journey we heard 
a noise coming from the triodia tussocks which sounded more like the note of 
an insect than that of a bird, but when the tussock was kicked and the bird 
dislodged, it fluttered or ran to the next hiding place. I shot fifteen of all ages 
and sexes and secured a pair of young ones well feathered but unable to 
fly. They were all alike in colour and markings, irrespective of age or sex. 
They are very active birds with fleshy, muscular thighs. At Brookman Creek 
I shot two perched on twigs about a foot high ; these were the only ones I ever 
saw perched. They have a low plaintive song which they only utter when at 
rest. I afterwards found the same birds near the Margaret River and secured 
a clutch of heavily incubated eggs. The nest was covered, but with such a l^rge 
side opening as to make it difficult whether it should not be described as an 
open structure. The eggs, two in number, were swollen oval, short and so 
heavily marked with deep red spots as to obscure the white ground. These 
birds appear to be identical with the Amytis gigantura of Milligan.” 
Whitlock recorded from the East Murchison : “ The Large-tailed Grass- Wren 
was another Lake Austin friend I hoped to meet with at Lake Way. I was 
not disappointed. It is a most difficult bird to find, especially if the weather 
be windy or wet and cold. As at Lake Austin, it was strictly confined to the 
salt-bush near the lake. This family of birds is said to favour rocky or stony 
places. It may be true of other members, but I never saw the present species 
in any such country. Though there were outcrops of rocks near two of its 
haunts at Lake Austin, and again a huge outcropping quartz reef at Lake 
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