Part 19

Djur-jeel-ya, Aborigines of the lowlands of Western Australia.

This curious little bird has a wide distribution; since it inhabits the whole of the southern portion of Australia, from Moreton Bay on the east to Swan River on the west, including Tasmania. Among the places where it is most numerous in the latter country, are the swampy grounds in the neighbourhood of Recherche Bay in D’Entrecasteaux Channel, the meadows at New Norfolk, Circular Head, and Flinder’s Island in Bass’s Straits; on the continent of Australia, Botany Bay, and indeed all portions of the country having a similar character are favoured with its presence.

In its actions it bears a close resemblance to the true Maluri, among which it has been associated, but, as the nature of its plumage would lead us to expect, it resorts to situations of a totally different character; for while the more open forest is the favourite resort of the Maluri, the Emu Wren is especially fond of low marshy districts, covered with rank high grasses and rushes. It is a recluse little bird, concealing itself from view by keeping near the ground in the midst of the more dense parts of the grass beds, and very seldom showing itself. Its extremely short round wings ill adapt it for flight, and this power is consequently seldom employed, the bird depending for progression upon its extraordinary capacity for running: in fact, when the grasses are wet from dew or rain, its wings are rendered perfectly unavailable. On the ground it is altogether as nimble and active, its creeping mouse-like motions, and the extreme facility with which it turns and bounds over the surface, enabling it easily to elude pursuit, and amply compensating for the paucity of its powers of flight. The tail is carried in an erect position, and is even occasionally retroverted over the back.

The nest, which is a small ball-shaped structure, with rather a large opening on one side, is composed of grasses lined with feathers, and artfully concealed in a tuft of grass or low shrub. One that I found in Recherche Bay contained three newly-hatched young: this being the only nest I ever met with, I am unable to give any description of its eggs, but I am informed they are always three in number.

The male is readily distinguished from the female by the blue colouring of the throat, and by a somewhat greater development of the tail-feathers. The decomposed or loose structure of these feathers, much resembling those of the Emu, has suggested the colonial name of Emu Wren for this species, an appellation singularly appropriate, inasmuch as it at once indicates the kind of plumage with which the bird is clothed, and the Wren-like nature of its habits.

The male has the crown of the head rust-red; upper surface brown, each feather having a black mark down the centre; wing-feathers dark brown, edged with rufous brown; chin and throat pale blue; sides of the neck and all the under surface bright rufous; tail dark brown; irides reddish brown; bill and feet brown.

The female differs from the male only in having the crown of the head striated with blackish brown, and the throat rufous instead of blue.

The Plate represents a male and a female of the natural size.

DASYORNIS AUSTRALIS: Vig. & Horsf.

J. & E. Gould del^t. C. Hullmandel Imp. ]

DASYORNIS AUSTRALIS, Vig. & Horsf. Bristle-bird.

Dasyornis Australis, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 232.—Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn., vol. ii. pl. 73.

This bird inhabits reed-beds and thickets, particularly such as are overgrown with creepers and rank vegetation; I believe it to be found throughout New South Wales in all places suitable to its habits, although, from the recluse nature of its disposition, it is a species familiar to few, even of those who have been long resident in the colony. I killed it at Illawarra, and other specimens were presented to me by Mr. Stephen Coxen, which had been shot by him in New England, an extensive district to the eastward of the Liverpool Plains. Its powers of flight are very limited, but it threads the thickets and runs over the ground with the greatest facility. It resembles the true Maluri carrying the tail erect, as also in many other of its actions. I had no opportunity of ascertaining whether or not it be migratory; but my own impression is that it is stationary, since its powers of flight are inadequate to enable it to pass over much extent of country, and the thick brushes near the coast afford it ample shelter in winter.

I did not succeed in finding its nest, but in its nidification it doubtless closely assimilates to the Long-billed Bristle-bird of the western coast.

The sexes present no difference in plumage and but little in size; the female is, however, rather the least.

The food consists of insects of various orders.

All the upper surface brown; wings, tail-coverts and tail rufous brown, the latter indistinctly barred with a darker tint; under surface grey, gradually passing into the brown of the upper surface; over the eye an indistinct buffy stripe; irides brown; bill brown, becoming much lighter on the lower mandible; legs greyish brown.

The Plate represents a male of the natural size.

DASYORNIS TENUIROSTRIS: Gould.

J. & E. Gould del^t. C. Hullmandel Imp. ]

DASYORNIS LONGIROSTRIS, Gould. Long-billed Bristle-bird.

Dasyornis longirostris, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VIII. p. 170.

Djyr-dal-ya, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia.

The present species assimilates very closely in the character and colouring of its plumage to its eastern analogue, the Dasyornis Australis; but differs from that bird in being of a smaller size and in having a longer bill. It is a native of Western Australia, and is very generally distributed over the colony of Swan River, where it inhabits reed-beds and long grasses, and is occasionally seen in scrubby places. “It is so remarkably shy,” says Mr. Gilbert, “that it is extremely difficult to get even a glimpse of it: from the little I could observe of the bird in a state of nature, it appeared to me to feed on the ground, where its actions are extremely quick, running over the surface with its tail erect, very like the Maluri; but when perched the tail is either carried horizontally, or hanging down. The only time when it can be seen with a chance of procuring specimens, is when it ascends to a small branch or the top of a scrub to sing. Its notes are extremely varied, some being very loud and clear, and so much lengthened as to approach a song; but no two birds sing alike.

“Its flight is extremely heavy and very low; in fact the bird appears incapable of rising more than a few yards above the scrub or long grass it inhabits; it is consequently very rarely seen on a tree.

“The nest is formed of dry wiry grass without any lining, more globular than those of the Maluri, but, like them, with an opening in the side; it is of rather a large size, and the only one I met with was built in a clump of coarse grass, sheltered by an overhanging dead bush, at about seven inches from the ground. It contained two eggs, the ground-colour of which is dull brownish white, blotched and freckled with purplish brown, some of the blotches appearing as if beneath the surface, particularly at the larger end, where they are most numerous.

“The stomach is thick and muscular, and its food consists of seeds and insects.”

The sexes so closely resemble each other, that a representation and description of one will suffice for both.