326 



BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Sp. 190. MALURUS PULCHERRIMUS, Gould. 



Blue-brasted Superb Warbler. 

 Malurus pulcherrimus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xii. p. 106. 



Maliirus pulcherrimus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol, vol. iii. 

 pi. 23. 



The Blue- breasted Superb Warbler is one of the variegated 

 species of its genus, and is nearly allied to the M. eleyans and 

 M. amabiUs, but is of larger size, and moreover differs from 

 them in having the throat and breast of a rich deep blue 

 instead of black. 



For a knowledge of this species I am indebted to the 

 researches of Gilbert, who informs me that " it appears to be 

 exclusively confined to the thickets of the interior of Western 

 Australia; in habits and manners it greatly resembles the 

 other members of the genus, but its nest is somewhat smaller 

 than that of either of them. A. nest found on the 28th of 

 October, in the vicinity of the Wongan Hills, was placed on 

 the upper branches of a species of Hakea, about four feet 

 from the ground; it contained two newly-laid eggs, which 

 resembled those of the other species of the genus, but had the 

 blotches very much larger." 



Crown of the head and a broad band across the centre of 

 the back rich glossy violet-blue ; space surrounding the eye, 

 and the ear-coverts, verditer-blue ; throat intense indigo-blue ; 

 bounded below by an indistinct band of black; lores, collar 

 surrounding the back of the neck, and the lower part of the 

 back deep velvety-black ; scapularies chestnut ; wings brown ; 

 tail dull greenish blue, indistinctly barred with a darker tint, 

 and slightly tipped with white; abdomen and under tail- 

 cov^rts white ; bill and feet black ; irides dark brown. 



Total length 5 J inches ; bill -^; wing 2 ; tail 3^ ; tarsi |f . 



