Vol. XVIII. 



IQiS 



1 AsHBv. Birds in the Baltimore Woods, U.S.A. I2I 



shaded by the thick overhead forest, only a few yards in advance, 

 up flew that strange bird, the American Woodcock {Philohela 

 minor) ; its long beak, and eyes set far back on the head, were 

 clearly seen. I was sorry to learn that in many of its old haunts 

 this bird is found no more ; the guns of the sportsmen have well- 

 nigh exterminated it in these localities. An Oven-Bird {Seiitrns 

 aiirocapiUus) gave us one sample, and that was all, of its peculiar 

 ascending song, described as " tlie word ' teacher ' repeated five or 

 six times, and gathering strength and volume with each syllable." 

 While we had a fair view of it, the deep shadow of the forest 

 prevented our getting the markings distinctly. Several of the 

 Vireos were seen in the tops of the lower trees, but the Red-eyed 

 Virco {Vireosylva olivacca) was the only one identified. Its short 

 warble is repeated again and again, and it is localh' known as the 

 " Parson-Bird," gentlemen of the cloth evidently ]:>eing credited 

 in Maryland with " oft repetition." 



Our delightful ramble was concluded with a close view of what 

 is perhaps the most lovely of all the birds seen — the Indigo 

 Bunting {Passerina cyanea). While the female was quite plain, 

 the male was gloriously blue, every part of his 5| inches — not the 

 shot, shiny blue of our Australian Malitridce, but still a gloriously 

 bright indigo blue, especially when seen in the blazing sunlight. 

 The male bird kept largely on the ground, under the low, creeping 

 shoots of the dewberry, at most about i8 inches from the ground. 

 He showed himself as he flitted from low bush to bush, and then 

 he gave us a splendid view while feeding a young one. By keeping 

 close to this unquiet child we were able to get several splendid 

 views of the parent. 



I am indebted to Mr. Hammond Brown and to Chester A. Reed's 

 little " Bird Guide " for the identifications. 



Description of a New Sub-Species of Malurus 



cyanotus. 

 By H. L. White, M.B.O.U., Belltrees, Scone, N.S.W. 



Mr. Sid. W. Jackson, while recently collecting for Mr. J. II. 

 Bettington and me on the Diamantina River, Western Queens- 

 land, obtained a blue-and-white Malurus which differs from the 

 southern and western varieties l^y its strikingly lighter colour — 

 light violet-blue or cornflower blue : it has also much more white 

 on the wings, extending to the secondaries. 



In The Emu, vol. xiii., p. 171, Major Macgilli\ra\' mentions that 

 Mr. W. M'Lennan collected the White- winged Wren further nortli, 

 on the Cloncurry. Should these be similar to the Diamantina 

 birds, and the colour constant, 1 suggest that the northern variety 

 be called Malurus c. diaiiuni/iiui. and, in the vernacular. Light 

 B,lue-and-White Wren. 



An immature male, in (hah })]umagc, is likewise lightei" in 

 colour both above and helow llian typical si)eeiinens ol Mahinis 

 cya}iotus. 



