Part 21

ACROCEPHALUS AUSTRALIS: Gould.

J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith. Hullmandel & Walton Imp. ]

ACROCEPHALUS AUSTRALIS, Gould. Reed Warbler.

Reed Warbler, Lewin, Birds of New Holland, pl. 18.

This bird does not inhabit Van Diemen’s Land, but is universally dispersed among the sedgy sides of rivers and lagoons, both in South Australia and New South Wales; I also observed it in great abundance on the banks of all the rivers to the northward of Liverpool Plains in all these localities; it is strictly migratory, arriving in September and departing again before the commencement of winter. In its general economy it closely resembles its European congeners, but possesses a still louder and more melodious song, which it is continually pouring forth and which tends much to enliven the monotony of the parts frequented by it. It is rather a late breeder, scarcely ever beginning this natural duty before the month of November. The nest, like that of the Reed Warbler of Europe, is suspended from two or three reeds at about two feet above the surface of the water, and is composed of the soft skins of reeds and dried rushes. The eggs, which are four in number, ten lines long by seven lines broad, are of a greyish white, thickly marked all over with irregular blotches and markings of yellowish brown, umber brown and bluish grey, intermingled together without any appearance of order or arrangement.

The food consists of insects of various kinds.

The sexes are so precisely alike that dissection must be resorted to to distinguish them.

All the upper surface olive-brown; wings and tail brown, margined with olive-brown; all the under surface tawny or deep buff, fading into white on the throat; under mandible fleshy white, remainder of the bill and the legs olive horn-colour; irides brown.

The figure is of the natural size.

ACROCEPHALUS LONGIROSTRIS: Gould.

J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith. Hullmandel & Walton Imp. ]

ACROCEPHALUS LONGIROSTRIS, Gould. Long-billed Sedge-Warbler.

Calamoherpe longirostris, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XIII. p. 20.

Gooȑ-jee-gooȑ-jee, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia.

The present bird, which I have designated longirostris, is the largest of the two species of Acrocephalus known to inhabit Australia.

It is a native of the western portion of the country, where I learn from Mr. Gilbert’s notes that “it is to be found in all the dense reed-beds bordering the river and lakes around Perth, but is so shy, particularly the female, that it scarcely ever shows itself above the reeds. I have remarked also that it never wanders many yards from the nest, which is placed on four or five upright reeds growing in the water at about two feet from the surface. It is of a deep cup-shaped form, and is composed of the soft skins of reeds and dried rushes. The breeding-season comprises the months of August and September. The eggs are four in number, of a dull greenish white, blotched all over, but particularly at the larger end, with large and small irregularly shaped patches of olive, some being darker than the others, the lighter-coloured ones appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell; they are three-quarters of an inch in length by five-eighths of an inch in breadth.

“It is almost always singing both night and day, and its song is more beautiful and melodious than that of any other Australian bird with which I am acquainted; being in many parts very like and certainly not inferior to that of the far-famed Nightingale of Europe.

“The stomach is tolerably muscular, and the food consists of coleopterous and other kinds of insects.”

Faint line over the eye fawn-colour; all the upper surface reddish brown, becoming more rufous on the upper tail-coverts; primaries and tail deep brown, fringed with rufous; chin whitish; all the under surface deep fawn-colour; irides yellowish brown.

The figures are of the natural size.

HYLACOLA PYRRHOPYGIA:

J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith. C. Hullmandel Imp. ]

HYLACOLA PYRRHOPYGIA. Red-rumped Wren.

Acanthiza pyrrhopygia, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 227.

In some parts of its economy this bird closely resembles the Maluri particularly in the upright position in which it carries its tail, in the quick hopping motion with which it passes over the surface of the ground, and the agility with which it trips along the horizontal branches of the fallen trees. The situations most favourable to its habits are open sterile spots, here and there studded with clumps of brushes or dense herbage. The beds and sides of creeks, as well as the crowns of stony hills, wherever they are scrubby, are also situations favourable to its habits. I have always observed it either in pairs or in small companies, probably the brood of a single pair, whose young accompany them throughout the autumn like the Maluri.

Its song, which is by no means disagreeable, is poured forth while the bird is perched upon some conspicuous part of a bush, or some little spray among the branches of the large fallen trees, where it loves to dwell, as on the approach of an intruder it can readily and effectually secrete itself among the high grass and herbage which have grown up amidst the branches. The facility with which it creeps among or threads these little thickets is surprising. It rarely flies, but depends for progression more upon the rapidity with which it can pass over the ground, than upon the feeble powers of its small rounded wing.

This species may be regarded as a bird whose natural habitat is the interior rather than the country near the coast; for although it does occur in some districts of New South Wales on the sea side of the dividing range, it is much more abundant on the northern or interior side in all situations favourable to its existence. I found it on the low bills to the north of the Liverpool Plains, as well as in most parts of South Australia; I believe it is a stationary bird, as it appeared to be equally numerous in summer and winter.

Of its nidification I have nothing to communicate, its nest not having been discovered either by myself or by any of my party.