°' 3 ' Littler, Notes on Some Birds Peculiar to Tasmania. 2Q 



Other nests I have found have either been globular or oval 

 shaped. In nearly every instance four eggs were laid ; they are 

 inclined to oval in shape, with the texture of the shell very fine, 

 and a decided gloss on the surface. The ground colour of the 

 shell is white. The markings, which are reddish-brown, vary 

 greatly in number in individual specimens ; some are greatly 

 spotted all over, not only with moderately sized spots, but also 

 with very tiny ones, so as to give the egg quite a pinkish tinge ; 

 others, again, have the spots closer together at the stouter end 

 so as to form a belt. The dimensions are about five-eighths of an 

 inch by seven-sixteenths of an inch. 



The following rough note about some young Blue Wrens was 

 made recently : — " Saw a male Blue Wren gathering food, pre- 

 sumably for his young. After searching a while I found them, 

 perched on a low hawthorn bough. Funny little balls of feathers 

 they were, too, just able to fly. Great was the consternation 

 of the parent birds when I approached close to their offspring 

 to examine them. They (the old birds) kept constantly flying 

 to the little ones, and doing all in their power to entice them away, 

 and in these efforts they eventually succeeded. The plumage of 

 the young birds (four) was much lighter than that of the adult 

 female, or that of the male when in his winter plumage. The 

 upper surface, wings, and tail were a light shade of brown, very 

 lustreless in appearance ; the under surface a dirty white ; man- 

 dibles and commissure very yellow ; irides light brown ; legs and 

 feet yellow. The male bird is a very amusing little fellow. The 

 airs and graces he assumes are worth watching. He hops round 

 with his long tail erect as though he was a very important per- 

 sonage, as no doubt he is in his own estimation. Along and over 

 fallen logs he proceeds, darting suddenly to the ground when 

 something choice catches his eye, back again on to the logs, 

 now perching on a stump to pour forth his little song, then once 

 more all on the alert, darting after some fly, and poking his little 

 beak into every crack and crevice, flitting his tail the while. So 

 on he goes the livelong day, tireless in his inquisitiveness. 



The Blue Wren (M. cyaneus) of the mainland is said to be a 

 polygamist ; so, to a certain extent, is our Blue Wren. No 

 doubt others besides myself who have watched these interesting 

 little birds have been struck by the fact that a male often has 

 two, and sometimes three, females following meekly after him, 

 picking up scraps he does not consider good enough for his own 

 lordly little stomach. Round bush homesteads the Blue Wren 

 becomes very tame, hopping round the doorways, and even into 

 the passages, in search of crumbs, &c. Whilst one is digging 

 in the garden it sometimes nearly falls a victim to its own boldness 

 by darting right under the descending spade after a fat grub 

 or a juicy worm. When in the scrub it prefers to use its legs 

 when moving from place to place. Its powers of running are 

 very great ; it is as nimble on its feet as a mouse ; in fact, it has 

 the appearance of one when seen a few yards off, as it scurries 



