This is a scarce species in New South Wales, the few individuals I have seen being-from the grassy districts of the Liverpool Plains; in all probability, however, it ranges along the eastern and over the whole of the northern portion of Australia. Mr. Gilbert’s notes inform me that he found it “tolerably abundant on the islands at the head of Van Diemen’s Gulf, where it inhabits the long grass or rushes growing in or adjacent to the swamps; it is so shy that it is very rarely seen; when closely hunted it takes wing, but flying appears to be a difficult action at all times; at least I have never seen it sustain a flight of more than a hundred yards at the utmost, and even in that short distance it seemed ready to sink into the grass with fatigue. The only note I have heard it emit is a harsh and rapidly repeated _chutch_. The stomachs of those I dissected were extremely muscular, and contained the remains of insects of various kinds and what appeared to be vegetable fibres.” General plumage pale brown, deepening into rufous on the crown of the head and fading into dull white on the throat and centre of the abdomen; all the feathers of the upper surface with blackish brown centres; secondaries blackish brown, broadly margined with pale brown; tail pale brown, crossed with indistinct bars of a darker tint; irides light brown; upper mandible olive-brown, the cutting edges light yellowish white; lower mandible bluish white; tarsi and feet light reddish flesh-colour. The figures are of the natural size. [Illustration: SPHENŒACUS GRAMINEUS: _Gould_. _J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._ ] SPHENŒACUS GRAMINEUS, _Gould_. Grass-loving Sphenœacus. _Sphenœacus gramineus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XIII. p. 19. Although the present species is very generally dispersed over the whole of the southern portions of Australia and Van Diemen’s Land in all situations suitable to its habits, it is as little known to the colonists as if it were not in existence, which is readily accounted for by its recluse nature and the localities it frequents, the thick beds of grasses, rushes and other kinds of herbage growing in low, damp and wet places on the mainland, and on such islands as those of Green and Actæeon in D’Entrecasteaux’ Channel, being its favourite places of resort. As may be supposed, it is a very shy species, and will almost allow itself to be trodden upon before it will quit the place of its concealment; in the open grassy beds of the flats it is more easily driven from its retreat, but even then it merely flies a few yards and then pitches again among the herbage. It would be very interesting to know whether the habits above described accord with those of the other members of the genus _Sphenœacus_, in which, with the concurrence of Mr. Strickland, who instituted it, I have placed the present bird.