1(j6 nests and eggs of AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



scorn. At last, duiing sheaiing time one year, in October, mv fancies 

 proved correct. A piece of dead mallee liung do\vii inside the roof of my 

 wool-shed, and in this I discovered a nest with a little Wren sitting upon 

 her eggs, three in number. Outside, upon the roof, the male bird hovered, 

 with at times a female bii'd, every now and then peeping through the 

 crevices and through a Uttle window let into the thatch, at his interesting 

 spouse. I watched very carefully, and told the wool-roller also to have 

 an eye to them, when at last, one afternoon, wife number two came 

 hopping through the roofing to the nest above. Number one came oflt 

 the nest and gave it up to number two, and tliis went on for several days, 

 observed by many of us, and each time of relief the outgoing little lady 

 was welcomed by the male bird on the roof with every demonstration of 

 delight. The eggs were hatched at last, and I fully intended to cany off 

 the young family with one or both of the parents, but on a Monday 

 morning we found the birds had flown, and ever since I have looked upon 

 the Blue Wren not only as a little lord of creation, but as a veritable 

 sultan in his domestic habits. " 



A correspondent (" Yonka "), wilting from Sandy Creek, \\a Bullum- 

 wood, Gippsland, says: — -"In May last year (1894) we pitched our camp 

 on Merrijig Creek (eight miles from here), and after a week or so the 

 feathered tribe undoubtedly came to the conclusion that we were eminently 

 respectable, and deigned to call on us — particularly the Wren family. 

 Then they were all of one coloui-, and I remarked to my mates upon the 

 absence of the blue-headed one, he being my particular desire in my 

 " shanghaeing " days of the Christmas vacation. But behold I at the 

 opening of spiing, with the wattle bloom's arrival, we noticed one of the 

 flock going about like an old gentleman with a dirtv blue muffler on. 

 He became a curiosity, and we had great opportunities of examining him. 

 as the flock passed om- camp on the way down to the creek eveiy morning, 

 returning again in the afternoon. We vulgarly tenned them our poiiltr}'. 

 As the weather warmed he assumed a more distinct guise, and about the 

 end of September became a perfect little gem. The hen birds would call 

 in at the camp, but the Sultan, as we christened him, held aloof with a 

 decided coldness in his demeanour. Then, about in the bush, the Blue- 

 headed Wren became quite an ordinarv' every-day affair until the winter 

 months came on, and not one could be foimd. At this spring time I was 

 fully alert to notice the changes, and though removed to another part 

 of the ci'eek, I soon discovered a track, and most honestly assert that in 

 two pai-ticular parties have I seen the change in the male bird week by 

 week, until he has now on his full uniform and is a perfect pictiue. It is 

 astonishing to what an extent 'famiharity breeds contempt, or, I should 

 say, bhndness, for not one of oiu- men bred in the country had ever 

 noticed this change imtil attention was di-awn to it. 



" I quite hold with Mr. Holroyd's idea that oiu- Blue-headed friend is 

 a Mormon.' 



" S. J. F." writes: — "A bird whose habits are not known to many is 

 oiu- beautiful Blue Wren. He always has four brown wves — never more, 

 never less. Tliey live in perfect hamiony together, as the following 

 anecdote will show : — About a month since, a boy employed by me caught 



