324 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



shape, the cover of the top resembhiig the peak of a cap, and 

 is about six or eight inches in height : the eggs are generally 

 four in number, of flesh-white, thickly blotched and freckled 

 with reddish brown, especially at the larger end ; eight and a 

 quarter lines long by six and a quarter lines broad. The 

 situation of the nest is much varied, being sometimes built 

 among the hanging clusters of the stinkwood tree, at others 

 among the upright reeds growing just above the water's edge 

 on the borders of lakes and the banks of rivers. 



The male in its summer dress has the crown of the head, 

 back, scapularies, and upper tail-coverts deep metallic blue ; 

 ear-coverts verditer-blue ; throat and all the under surface 

 deep shining violet-blue ; lores, crescent-shaped mark across 

 the chest, and back of the neck deep velvet-black ; external 

 edges of the wing-feathers green ; tail greenish blue, in- 

 distinctly barred with a darker tint ; bill black ; eyes and 

 feet blackish brown. 



The female has the bill, lores, and circle round the eyes 

 reddish brown ; crown of the head and all the upper surface 

 brown ; the external margins of the wing-feathers slightly 

 tinged with green ; tail as in the male, but paler, and slightly 

 tipped with white. 



Sp. 189. MALURUS ELEGANS, Gould. 



Graceful Superb Warbler. 



Malurus elegans, Gould, Birds of Australia, part i. Aug. 1837. 

 Djur-jeel-ya, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia. 



Malurus elegans, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. ill. pi. 22. 



This is one of the largest species of the genus yet discovered, 

 and is a most beautiful and elegant bird : the delicate verditer- 

 blue of the centre of the back, and the larger size and more 

 spatulate form of its tail-feathers, at once distinguish it from 

 Malurus Lamberii, the species to which it is most nearly 

 allied. It is an inhabitant of the western coast of Australia ; 



