WESTERN AUSTRALIA 213 



Lark probably did the same, and more ; viz., spread 

 east and south, and west, taking on the colours of 

 the deserts and fitting in with difficult conditions; 

 map 94. 



The Desert Bird belongs to the family of Warb- 

 lers and is not unlike our Reed Warbler; though its 

 nearest relative (Schoeniclus) is in India. 



COLOUR TRISECTION 

 (Plate 3, Fig. 85) 



If one could get a mental picture of the finest 

 colour distribution amongst birds in Western Aus- 

 tralia, it would seem to be red, white and blue, as 

 indicated in map 95. These are the Red-backed 

 Wren-Warblers, "a" : the White-backed Wren- 

 Warblers, b; and the Blue Wren Warblers, c. 



It is an interesting colour range on three types 

 of country extending tremendous distances. Within 

 each separate distance the blue will alter, e.g. from 

 light to dark turquoise, or the bird will take on a 

 purplish back. The reds will weaken when they 

 are found in areas 7, 8, map 1. 



There is a general tendency in Eastern Australia, 

 between Torres and Bass Straits, for the birds of 

 any one species of any family to have three grades 

 of colour, a northern brilliancy, a southern dullness, 

 and just beyond the tropics a medium standard. 

 The silvery cobalt of the Northern Wren-Warblers, 

 grades into the deep cobalt of the southern Wren- 

 Warblers. 



IS 



