THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 105 



as it will be when the main body arrives, and when pairing gener- 

 ally sets in. The question arises, What advantage will this cuckoo 

 derive from having remained upon the mainland throughout the 

 winter, and its early laying ? 



The approach of spring has already affected the Magpie, 

 Gymnorhina tibicen, as it has shown a haste in erecting its nest, 

 and one was complete on the 26th June, while that of a second 

 pair was noted on the 23rd July. 



The Little Brown Acanthiza, A. pusilla, thought it could un- 

 observed, on the 19th, complete its dome structure, and in most 

 cases it could have done so, but in this particular one either it 

 or I had entered upon a domain that we each knew something 

 about, for it has been for years back the resort of my pleasant 

 Sunday afternoons. This nest is therefore under the direct con- 

 trol of the builders, as far as the writer is concerned. 



For seasons previous to this one the Magpie Lark, Grallina 

 picata, has visited us only in pairs, and then few and far between. 

 They came just before the Wood Swallows retired, and what the 

 latter left the former have been attentive to, preferring those 

 kinds of creeping things that are found in damp places. This 

 so-called Mud Lark is greatly the life of the place, its " pe-wit " 

 always announcing its approach when on the wing. The charm 

 of the bird is best exhibited when gracefully walking by the green 

 banks of the creeks or shallow ponds, but the " faery " form 

 peculiar to it is lost as the gentle creature leaves the earth for 

 higher fields, when its flap and heavy flight are totally different to 

 what one would expect from its manners upon the moist ground, 

 where its black and white plumage affords a most agreeable 

 contrast. 



" Blue Bonnets," which you may know better as Superb 

 Warblers or Blue Wrens', Malurus cyaneus, are now becoming 

 true to their colours, for on the 18th and 21st I secured three 

 skins of males completing their change, and nearly metamorphosed 

 as far as the feathers are concerned. All that is required is the 

 final burst of blue, which lies in " buds " carefully hidden beneath 

 the earlier matured feathers. This is earlier than in the past 

 three years, according to my limited notes. 



Exhibited upon the table this evening are some dozen skins of 

 birds, procured during several seasons, which show the progress 

 of their spring dress. The specimen showing earliest signs was 

 obtained on the 31st, having a blue tail, a few blue coverts about 

 the spurious wing, and a single blue feather at the anterior end of 

 the forehead. Beneath the regular layer of grey feathers in the 

 lumbar region is one of glossy blue-black, quite ready to serve 

 their purpose as soon as the sombre tier above will moult. A 

 second example shows the same characters, but with additional 

 frontal blues. A third has a few blue plumes in addition on the 



