ACROCEPHALUS. 
169 
At a (fleeting of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 
(March 1889) the following notes were read relative to the breeding 
of these Finches :—“ It may be interesting to know that several 
of the Gouldian Finches have bred in Dr. Ramsay’s avairy at 
the M useuin. A pair, male and female, of the black-headed phase 
hatched out on May 13th last (1888), three young ones, one of 
which, although having a dull coloured breast, has developed the 
crimson head of P. mirabilis. There can be now no doubt 
whatever, that P. gouldice the black-headed phase, and P. armitiana 
the yellow-headed phase, are merely varieties of P. mirabilis 
originally described by llombron and Jacquinot in the “ Voy. au 
POle Sud.” Many specimens recently brought to Sydney show 
the various stages of plumage above mentioned, bearing out Dr. 
Ramsay’s previous statement respecting the various phases of 
plumage exhibited in this species. 
Hob. Derby, N.W. Australia, Port Darwin and Port Essington, 
Gulf of Carpentaria. ( Ramsay.) 
Family TURDXDiE. 
Sub-Family SYLVIIAN^E. 
Genus ACROCEPHALUS, Naum. 
ACROCEPHALUS AUSTRALIS, Gould. 
Reed Warbler. 
Gould, Handbk. Bds. Aust., Vol. i., sp. 246, p. 402. 
This bird is found frequenting the reedy edges of rivers, creeks, 
and lagoons. In Victoria I found their nests in great numbers 
along the banks of the Yarra and Saltwater Rivers. A nest 
of this species now before me from the Australian Museum 
Collection, is built between three upright reeds ; it is a deep cup- 
sliaped structure, outwardly composed of the soft paper-like 
