ACAWIUUIZA S ' - . MBA
ACANTHIZA LINEATA , Gould.
Striated Acanthiza.
Acanthiza lineata, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 146 ; and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV.
T his pretty little species inhabits most o f the wooded districts o f South Australia, particularly the gullies
among the mountain ranges ; it is also tolerably abundant among the brushes and trees near the brooks and
rivulets o f the Liverpool range in New South Wales. It is very active and animated in its actions, clinging
and prying about among the branches in search o f insects in every possible variety of position. It is a permanent
resident in the countries above-mentioned, but is not found in Van Diemen’s Land or Western
Australia. Unfortunately I did not succeed in procuring its nest, but judging from those o f the other
members of the genus, it is doubtless o f a domed form, with a small hole near the top for an entrance 5 and
though I have never seen the eggs, it may be presumed from analogy that they are either purely white, or
white speckled with reddish brown.
Its food consists entirely o f insects, which are procured from the leaves and flowers o f the various trees.
The sexes can only be distinguished by dissection, for 110 perceptible difference whatever is observable
either in their size or the colouring o f their plumage.
This species, the least of the genus to which it belongs, and one of the most diminutive o f the Australian
birds, may be thus described:—
Crown o f the head brownish olive, with a fine line o f white down the centre o f each feather; back
and wings greenish o live; tail the same, crossed by a broad band o f brownish black near the tip, beyond
which the extremities are brownish grey; throat and chest grey, tinged with olive, the margins o f the
feathers spotted with dark brown, giving these parts an irregular spotted appearance ; bill and feet black ;
irides brown.
The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size.