MALURIS 215 



Adult fkmale — Aboue brown; upper iving-coverls and qni/ls broivn, wilk paler edges to the 

 outer webs of the primaries ; tail feathers brown, was/ted with dull blue; sides of the liead and tieck 

 brown; all the under surface dull white tinged tvith brown; sides of the body broivn; bill light 

 brown; legs brown, feet dark broion; iris dark brown. 



Distribution. — Queensland, New South Wales, \'ictoria, South Australia, Central Australia, 

 Western Australia, North-western Australia. 



/~¥^HE foregoing descriptions and the accompanying remarks apply to the birds figured and 

 _L described by Gould in his folio edition of the "Birds of Australia," \'ol. III., Plate 25. 

 ^^'ith that writer, however, I agree in questioning very much the propriety of referring them 

 to the Malunis Icucoptcnis of Ouoy and Gaimard. 



This species is chiefly an inhabitant of the inland portions of the Australian continent, 

 especially over its southern half. It is freely dispersed in favourable situations throughout 

 south-western Queensland, western New South \\'ales, north-western \'ictoria. Central, South, 

 and Western Australia. Mr. Tom Carter has found it breeding at Point Cloates, but it was 

 not represented in any of the large collections made further north, near Derby, by Mr. E. J. 

 Cairn, the late Mr. T. H. Bowyer-Bower, and the Calvert Exploring Expedition, neither have 

 I seen specimens fr(.)m any part of Northern Australia. 



Writing from the INIossgiel District in western New South Wales, in 1886, the late Mr. 

 K. H. Bennett remarks: — "The White-winged Wren is rather plentifully dispersed over the 

 wide plains of this locality, especially those which are covered with saltbush from a foot to 

 eighteen inches high, or the curious formations known as 'cane-swamps.' Although the birds 

 may be in these spots for years, they never go out of them, the margins of open ground forming 

 the boundary of their little domain. In this respect they differ from M. melanotus, and the 

 chestnut-shouldered species, '^ which are never found in such situations, though they may inhabit 

 -the dense scrub surrounding these open spaces, only a few yards distant. M. leucopterus is also 

 sparingly met with m the timbered back country as well as the open plains. It breeds in 

 September and October, constructing a dome-shaped nest of dried grasses and other soft 

 material, lined with feathers, and laying four eggs." 



Mr. G. A. Keartland writes me: — "During the journey of the Horn Scientific Expedition 

 in Central Australia, in 1894, we found Alalunis leucopterus frequenting the short dry heath and 

 spinifex between Oodnadatta and Charlotte Waters, and from the east of Alice Springs to as 

 far north-west as Carmichael's Creek. When the notes of these birds are first heard, the 

 females and immature males generally hop about and expose themselves as if to attract 

 attention. Meanwhile the adult male, in his gay livery, either runs under the shelter of the 

 undergrowth, or flies off to a place of safety. As soon as the latter object is gained, the others 

 follow one at a time. When a brown bird flies off it is almost a sure sign that the adult male 

 has gone. I always found the adult males very shy except at nesting time. These birds are 

 plentiful near the Finke River, but on several occasions I have found them many miles from 

 the nearest water. They are also very numerous in many parts of Western Australia. During 

 the journey of the Calvert Exploring Expedition in 1896, we found three nests with fresh eggs 

 in September, and some splendid specimens were obtained at Separation Well, on the loth 

 October, 1896." 



In company with Mr. J. A. Thorpe, I procured specimens near the Mehi River, New 

 South Wales, in November, 1S97. Later on I obtained them in all stages of plumage near the 

 Gwydir River. They were met with both in small flocks and in pairs, frequenting the isolated 

 clumps of low bushes out on the plains, and in which I found them breeding. It is remarkable 

 that some of the adult males were in full plumage, others were moulting their tail feathers, 



Since described as .1/. assimilis. 



