Malurus gouldii and Malurus cyaneus. 69 



Tail : Deep blue with some pure white tips. 



Specimen 11. — Adult male (well-up in years), 24/8/27. Ap- 

 parently in full nuptial plumage, crown of head and mantle ; 

 some few blues are still maturing and lie hidden. A pectoral 

 dense black narrow line shews as a septum between the blue-black 

 of the lower throat and the lower chest white. Abdomen and 

 flanks are whiter than in the majority of specimens. 



Secondary quills : The edges of the outer webs shew greenish- 

 blue more prominently than in any of the other specimens 

 examined. The tips are terminated witli white. 



Tail : Deep blue. 



In a letter to me, dated 13th March of this year, Mr. 

 Graham writes of capturing three fine specimens of male birds 

 which showed tails having feathers of various lengths now 

 coming, and new " quills " with shafts of grey shewing out 

 amongst the old " blacks and blues." Unfortunately these 

 turned into a decomposed state owing to the very hot weather, 

 and were nut preserved. This is apt to make one think the 

 " blue birds " are not such rare autumn monitors of the 

 " browns " as I have been partly influenced to believe by my 

 deductions from the numbers of blues in the Heytesbury. I say 

 the Heytesbury, because I have put great faith in Mr. Graham's 

 keen and extensive observation. 



The moults of the female bird are not so striking as those of 

 the male, because the tail and lores are about the only colored 

 parts that attract one's attention for purpose of recognition. The 

 young females start the change of colour of bill, from nutty 

 brown to black, in September, as well as the tail from brown to 

 blue. Both these parts also change in April — May. The young 

 of December would make very slight change before the spring, 

 but it would be more definite in April and settled by the 

 following spring. Considering the large number of female 

 wrens relative to the small quantity of nests (keenly hunted for), 

 it appears to me as likely the young female may pass the first 

 year without bi'eeding. 



A. Female nestling, December brood : Lores, light ; Chest, 



nutty brown ; tail, brown. 



B. Young female, 1/4/99. The skin shows advance of 

 winter plumage. 



