Malurus gouldii and Malurus cyaneus. 71 



Tail: Blue. 



This is evidently a bird from the last season's nest. 

 Specimen 3. — Adult male, 31/7/96. 



Lores black of adult and not brown of youth or winter 

 plumage. 



Bill: Black. 

 Tail : Feathers blue. 



Upper surface brown, under surface whitish. Although, 

 adult, this is not an aged bird. 



Specimen 4. — Adult male, 11/9/97. 



Lores : Brown, with one or two blacks peeping through. 

 Blues and blue-blacks generally coming. 

 Tail : New feathers deep blue. 



Specimen 5. — Adult male, 16/7/96. Bill, black; tail, deep 

 blue. " Blues " nearly fully arrived to form mantle. 



Specimen 6. — Adult male, 17 7/96. Approaching full nuptial 

 plumage, with many new "blues and blue-blacks" developing. 

 The tail is so deeply blue and the lower chest so clear white that 

 I have no doubt it is more than two years' old. 



Other male birds of this species I find to be approaching 

 " full livery," are dated — 



a' - - 17/7/96. 

 a" - - 9/8/94. 

 rt'" - - 16/10/97. 

 The moult for the year in others was completely finished in — 

 ^^ - - 18/8/94. 

 ^" - - 25/9/97. 

 ^"' - - 16/10/97. 



C. Ma/e IVren under Domestication. 



To try and rear wrens in ordinary aviaries means a chapter of 

 accidents. Even in the exact haunt of the birds Mr. Graham 

 had trouble, for he writes : " After many fruitless attempts to 

 rear the young l>irds I decided to let the old ones do the rearing. 

 To this purpose I made four large cages, and installed a nest 

 of young birds in each. This answered very well, for, food being 

 abundant, the young were kept well supplied through the wire of 

 the cages, until a succession of cold nights ended the experiment 

 by killing the young birds to the last one." They needed the 

 warmth and break-wind of the parent. 



