MALURUS. 



227 



A nest, forwarded by Mr. Jardine, is a dome-shaped structure with a large entrance near 

 the top. It is formed of very fine yellow dried grasses, partially skeletonized leaves, and soft 

 sheaths of grasses, intermingled with a small quantity of spider-webs, and the yellow and white 

 silky covering of the egg-bags of spiders; the upper portion of the nest and the lining inside 

 consists entirely of very fine yellow dried grasses. In shape it resembles the nest of Maluriis 

 lamberti, the lower portion of the structure being narrower than the top. Externally it measures 

 five inches and a quarter in height l)y three inches and a half in diameter across the upper part, 

 and two inches and three-quarters across the centre of the lower half; diameter of entrance 

 two inches. It is built between four thin upright twigs of a broad-leaved shrub. 



Eggs three in number for a sitting, oval in form, the shell being close-grained, smooth, and 

 slit^htly lustrous. They are pure white, sparingly sprinkled over with minute freckles and 

 spots varying from pinkish-red to pale purplish-red, the markings predominating as a rule 

 on the thicker end. .\ set of two, taken by Mr. Bertie L. Jardine, at Somerset, measures:— 

 (A) 0-62 X 0-48 inches; (B) 0-59 x 0-48 inches. .\ set of three, taken near Cooktown, measures:— 

 (A) 0-63 X 0-48 inches; (B) 0-64 x 0-5 inches.; (C) o-6 x 0-47 inches. 



Regarding this species in the Burke District, Northern Queensland, Dr. W. Macgillivray 



writes me: " Mahwiis amahilis, is more common in the spinife.x ranges south and west of 



Cloncurry; one nest was taken in a spinifex tuft." 



The young male resembles the adult female, the first indication of its sex in plumage 

 showing in some of the scapulars being dull chestnut rufous; the inner secondaries are also 

 faintly margined with rufous. The wing measurement of a young male in the Australian 

 Museum collection in this stage of plumage is 2 inches, and exceeds that of some fully adult 

 males. 



The young female is dark brown above, with only a slight wash of deep blue; ear-coverts 

 brown, faintly tinged with cobalt-blue; remainder of the plumage as in the adult, but duller in 

 colour. Wing 1-85 inches. 



Malurus elegans. 



GRACEFUL SUPERB WARBLER. 

 Malurus elegans, Gould, Bds. Austr., fol., Vol. III., pi. 22 (1848); id., Handbk. Bds. Austr., 

 Vol. I., p. 324 (1865); Sharps, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mas., Vol. IV., p. 291 (1879). 



Adult m.a.le — Forehead, crown, sides of the head and nape pale cobalt blue, passing into light 

 turquoise-blue on the feathers around the eye and the ear- coverts ; sides of the neck and hind-neck 

 velvety-black; mantle and upper portion of the back very light cobalt, the bases of the underlying 

 plumes of the latter silvery-ivhite ; lower portion of the back and rump velvety-black; scaptdars 

 chestnut-red; wings broivn, the primaries narrowly edged externally with brownish-white, the inner 

 secondaries edged rvith rufous; tail feathers dull blue; a triangular-shajied marking in front of the eye 

 black; chin, throat, and upper portion of the breast dark indigo-blue, which is followed by a narrow 

 band of deep black: remainder of the under surface dull white washed with fulvous on the sides of 

 the body and flanks ; thighs fnlvous-brotvn : bill black; legs and feet dark reddish-brown; iris 

 blackish-brown. Total length 5-5 inches, wing 2-05, tail 3, bill Q-1^, tarsus 0-95. 



Adult female— ffenero? colour above greyish broivn, the scapulars and back rusty-broivn ; 

 ivings brown, the primaries narrotdy edged externally with brownish-white; tail dull blue; lores 

 and a triangular-shaped spot in front of and extending below the eye rufous; sides of the neck 

 greyish-brown; throat and all the under surface didl white tinged ivith buff; sides of the abdomen 

 and rmder tail-coverts fulvous-brown; bill black; legs and feet dark reddish-brown. 



Distribution. — Western .\ustralia. 



