1^4 Dove, The Blue Wren of Tasmania. [ ,sf "jan. 



The young appear to develop the full tail in from a month to 

 five weeks after hatching. The members of a family I watched 

 at Table Cape, North-West Coast, had tails almost as long 

 as the parents i8 days after leaving the nest, or 29 from 

 the time of hatching. While in the bush at Table Cape I 

 had the pleasure of seeing a young family stowed away for the 

 night by their parents ; at sunset they were escorted to a nut- 

 bush, and after much calling and anxious coaching were placed 

 upon a branch about 3 feet from the ground, where they 

 spent the hours of darkness, looking exceedingly cosy when I 

 peeped in upon them just before the light had failed, snugged 

 together, with an old bird at each end of the young trio to keep 

 watch and ward. 



The alleged polygamy of the Wren has not been observed by 

 me during a fairly long acquaintance with the species ; the 

 groups one sees during autumn and winter (a blue individual 

 with about seven brown ones) usually are simply family parties, 

 the broods of the previous spring hunting with their parents 

 until the time comes for dispersal at the advent of the nesting 

 season. As the males do not get their colour until the season 

 after leaving the nest— and not then, I believe, a full dress — all 

 except the old males will naturally appear to be females, except 

 that a close observer may notice a bluish appearance in the tails 

 of some of the followers, the colour developing in the " caudal 

 appendage " some time before it begins to appear on the head 

 and mantle. 



I will state here that in my opinion the reported change of 

 plumage in the adult male from blue to brown in autumn, and 

 vice versa in spring, requires a great deal more proof before 

 being accepted as a fact, with regard to the Tasmanian species 

 at any rate. Males appear in our bush at Table Cape and 

 elsewhere in gorgeous attire all through the winter, not merely 

 one here and there, but in numbers. One certainly sees many in 

 a rugged state of undress grey with bits of blue showing through, 

 giving an appearance which reminds us of one of Gilbert's 

 immortal characters, 



" A wandering minstrel, I, 

 A thing of shreds and patches," 



but these are young males beginning to don the adult attire. 

 At least, such is my present belief, and I shall continue to think 

 so until very strong evidence to the contrary is forthcoming. 



Appended are measurements of the two nests described, also 

 of another found since, from which the young had flown. They 

 are constructed outwardly of the dry stalks and blades of grasses, 

 with finer grass round the entrance and inside, while feathers are 

 used for the innermost lining : — Nest No. i (short type), in 

 Lepidosperma. — 5^ inches length over all upper side, 4^ inches 

 length over all lower side, 5 inches height in front, 4 inches 



