THE USEFUL BIRDS 



breed during the first year. Male and female, when once 

 mated, remain so until accident or the advent of a stronger 

 or more pugnacious male causes a division. 



" With regard to the proportion of males to females in the 

 brood, I have not as yet observed more than one male in a 

 brood of three. My garden Wrens have just had the unusual 

 brood of four, and still only one male ; but, to be certain of 

 this point, the famihes will require further watching." 



The males moult their blues for brown in late summer as a 

 general act, and procure a fresh set in early spring. 



Nest. — Dome-shaped; side entrance; made of grasses, hned 

 with feathers. Like all the Wrens {Maluri), it places the 

 nest near the ground. 



Eggs. — Four or five to a sittting; white, with bright red- 

 dish-brown spots upon them, near or far apart, oftentimes 

 forming a zone round the broad portion. Length, 0.65 inch; 

 breadth, 0.5 inch. 



EMU-WREN, 



Stipiturus malaehnriis, Lath 



Stip-i-tu' rus nial-d-kunis. ,. 



Stipes, a trunk ; oura, tail ; malakos, soft ; oura, tail. 

 Stipiturijs malachurus, Gould, "Birds of Australia," fol., vol. iii., 



pi. 31. 

 Geographical Distribution. — Areas 3, 4, 5, 9. 



Key to the Species. — Tail of emu-like feathers ; head light rufous, 

 broadly striped with black towards the nape. Male has throat 

 light blue, female rufous. Tail, 4|- inches; total length, 6^ 

 inches. 



This tiny bird, with a body only If inches long, is fairly 

 plentiful in the swampy lands in which a feature of the 

 vegetation is the rankest grass. 



