508 ON THE PLUMAGE OF ADULT MALES OP THE GENUS MALURUS, 



hiding or not when in full plumage I cannot say, but with M. 

 melanocephalus you may disturb eight or more apparently females, 

 and after a little while you may see a full plumaged male dodging 

 through the grass seemingly to escape observation. I have often 

 noticed some of the birds with a little red on their backs ; these I 

 always considered to be young males, but may they not have been 

 old males with only partial plumage ? but I hardly think so, as I 

 well remember when I lived in Tasmania I used to shoot M.gouldi 

 for skins always in winter, and here M. lamberti is always in full 

 plumage, so that I think points to the fact the male Warblers 

 always retain their adult plumage." 



Mr. George Masters, the Curator of the Macleayan Museum at 

 the University, informs me that when he was in Tasmania he also 

 observed the male of M. gouldi in full adult plumage during winter. 



Mr. K. H. Bennett of Yandembah, New South Wales, writes 

 as follows : — " In answer to your query re Maluri, I certainly 

 think that Gould is in error, or if the change in plumage does 

 occur, it is by no means constant, for males of the several species 

 found in this locality are to be met with in full livery at all 

 times, and so far as my experience goes are as plentiful in winter 

 as at any other season, but I have frequently met with families or 

 companies of moi'e than a dozen individuals in the sombre dress of 

 the female ; these could not have been a single brood as there were 

 far too many. The species found here is M. leucopterus, but some 

 sixty miles to the north of this place M. tnelanotus, M. splendens, 

 and M. leuconotus are also to be met with ; the two latter, however, 

 are so rare that I cannot speak with certainty as to the retention 

 of the full plumage of the males, but I am certain that full 

 plumaged males of 3£. leucopterus and M. rtielanotus are to be met 

 with at all times of the year." 



Mr. James Ramsay, of Dobroyde, paid particular attention to 

 the various phases of plumage assumed by the males in the genus 

 Mahirus, during several years residence on Tyndarie Station, in 

 the interior of New South Wales, and as regards the species found 

 there, viz., M. lamberti, M. leucopterus, M. leuconotus, and M. 



