320 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



The song is a hurried strain, somewhat resembhng that of 

 the Wren of Europe. 



The stomach is muscular, and the food consists of insects 

 of various kinds, collected on the ground, the trunks of fallen 

 trees, &c. 



The male in summer has the crown of the head, ear-coverts, 

 and a lunar- shaped mark on the upper part of the back light 

 metallic blue; lores, line over the eye, occiput, scapularies, 

 back, rump, and upper tail-coverts velvety black ; throat and 

 chest bluish black, bounded below by a band of velvety 

 black ; tail deep blue, indistinctly barred with a darker hue, 

 and finely tipped with white ; wings brown ; under surface 

 bufFy white, tinged with blue on the flanks ; irides blackish 

 brown ; bill black ; feet brown. 



The female has the lores and a circle surrounding the eye 

 reddish brown ; upper surface, wings, and tail brown ; under 

 surface brownish white ; bill reddish brown ; feet fleshy 

 brown. 



Sp. 18G. MALURUS LONGICAUDUS, Gould. 



Long-tailed Superb Warbler. 

 Malurus longicaudus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part v. p. 148. 



Malurus longicaudus, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iii. pi. 19. 



The Long-tailed Superb Warbler is so universally dispersed 

 over Tasmania, as well as the islands in Bass's Straits, that to 

 particularize any one part of the former island where it is 

 found more than another would be vain, since it is present in 

 every gully and every other place where low scrubby bushes 

 and underwood are to be met with : I have also received 

 from Kangaroo Island a single specimen in its winter dress 

 which, I believe, is referable to this species. Active and 

 cheerful, and possessing a sweet warbling song, the present 

 bird is as nmch a favourite in Tasmania as the Superb 

 Warbler is in New South Wales, and, like its congener, in 



