78 THE USEFUL BIRDS 



Nest. — Open, rounded, shallow, and very small ; made of 

 dry grasses, and ornamented very often by bark-lamellse. 

 It is placed in a small horizontal fork, generally 6 to 10 feet 

 from the ground. Diameter, 2 inches. 



Eggs. — Two, sometimes three, or rarely four. There is 

 much colour variation, but mostly dull green, with reddish 

 and lilac spots that have brown in them to blend the whole. 

 Length, 0.75 inch ; breadth, 0.6 inch. 



BLU£ WREN 



(Superb Warbler), 



t Malurns cyaneus, Ellis. 



Ma-liir'us sl-arie-us. 

 Mahirus (?) ; cyaneus, dark blue. 

 Malurus cyaneus, Gould, " Birds of Australia," fol., vol. iii., pi. 18. 

 Geographical Distribution. — Areas, 3, 4, 6. 



Key to the Species. — Adult malt — In summer nearly blue ; throat 

 blue-black ; upper tail coverts black ; ear coverts and mantle 

 turquoise- blue ; tail longer than wing ; bill about equal in height 

 and breadth. 



Adult female — Sombre plumage ; chestnutty bill and lores. 

 Young — Similar to female in tlie early phase. 



The genus Malurus is pecuhar to the Australian continent, 

 and no less than sixteen species are distributed through its 

 various areas. 



These can be roughly divided into two groups, the red- 

 backed and the black-backed, two others, however, adding a 

 third sub -variety, in that they have a part of the wings and 

 back white. 



t According to priority of naming this species should be M. ffupe^-hns, 



Shaw. 



