AMYTIS GOYDERI, Gowa.

Goyder’s Striated Wren.

Amytis Goyderit, Gould, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 4th series, Oct. 1875, p. 286

 

As far as we yet know to the contrary, all the members of this peculiar genus are confined to the
continent of Australia, and chiefly, if not wholly, to the interior, their favourite resort being sandy districts
covered with rank grass and the usual herbage common to such soils. They are quite terrestrial in their
habits, and run over the ground with great celerity. The nearest ally to this species is Amytis striatus; the
entire throat and chest of the present bird, however, is white, or lightly coloured, which is not the case in
4. striatus or the two other known species 4. tewtilis and A. macrourus.

Like the new species of Melithreptes, this bird was collected by Mr. Andrews, he being one of the party

of the late Lake-Eyre expedition towards the interior of South Australia. The following is a literal copy of

my paper in the ‘Annals,’ which I cannot do better than repeat here, regretting that no information has
reached us as to the probable range of the species, nor any account of its habits and economy :—

“General colour fawn-colour, distinctly streaked with white on the upper surface, each white stripe
having a dark-brown lateral border on each side, the streaks becoming sandy-coloured on the lower back
and disappearing entirely on the rump and upper tail-coverts, which are consequently uniform fawn ; tail-
feathers brown, with sandy-coloured shafts, the outer feathers rather broadly edged with fulvous ; wings
brown, the least coverts minutely and the greater series broadly streaked with sandy buff; quills brown,
with light sandy-coloured shafts, and externally margined with rufous, the secondaries much more broadly,
the innermost with broad fawn-coloured margins all round and streaked down the centre with sandy rufous ;
lores and sides of face white, the latter narrowly streaked with blackish brown, more distinctly on the
cheeks ; throat and breast pure white, as well as the centre of the abdomen ; the flanks bright fawn-colour,
inclining to paler and more sandy rufous on the thighs and upper and under wing-coverts.

«A second specimen sent, probably a female, is tinged with vinous instead of fawn-colour as in the male.

«As Mr. Waterhouse points out in his letter, the new 4mytis is very closely allied to 4. textilis; but it
differs in being fawn-coloured instead of dull brown, with much broader white streaks to the upper surface ;
it is also distinguishable at a glance by its white under surface and fawn-coloured flanks.”

I cannot close this short account without thanking Mr. Waterhouse, and the directors of the South-
Australian Museum, for sending this bird to England that I might include it in the present work.

The figures are the size of life.

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