THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 203 



By Mr. J. A. Kershaw, F.E.S.— Rare Victorian Moth, Mochlo- 

 tona phasmatias, Meyr., in illustration of paper. 



By Mr. C. Walter. — Plants new for Victoria. Epaltes tatei, 

 F. v. M., Wimmera district, collected by Mr. St. Eloy D'Alton, 

 Dimboola ; Aizoon zygophylloides, F. v. M., Geelong district, 

 collected by Mr. Ed. E. Pescott ; and Mitrasacme pilosa, Labill., 

 East Gippsland (new locality), collected by Mr. Ed. E. Pescott, 

 Orbost. 



By Mr. H. W. Whitney. — Nest of the Red-browed Finch, 

 JZgintha temporalis, Lath., from Healesville. 



After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW WREN OR MALURUS. 

 By A. J. Campbell. 

 [Bead before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, Wth March, 1901.) 

 The discovery of a black and white Malurus for Australia is an 

 item of considerable interest to ornithologists. The only other 

 pied species of this genus, M. albiscapulatus, Meyer, is found in 

 New Guinea, from which the Australian species differs in having 

 the upper wing coverts and inner secondaries, in addition to the 

 scapulars, white. 



For the new bird I beg to propose the name Malurus edouardi, 

 in honour of our new monarch, His Majesty King Edward VII., 

 this being the first Australian bird discovered during his reign. 

 Moreover the royal family have always evinced a great interest 

 in natural history. The bird will be known on the Vernacular 

 List as the " Black and White Wren." 



This new Wren was the discovery of the collector of the Perth 

 Museum, and was procured amongst spinifex grass on Barrow 

 Island, off the north-western coast of Australia, during December, 

 1900. Through the courtesy of Mr. Bernard Woodward, F.G.S., 

 the curator, three specimens are exhibited here to-night, and I 

 have to express my indebtedness to him for kindly permitting me 

 to record their descriptions, which are as follow : — 



(1) An adult male. General colour glossy blue-black ; wings 

 brownish, the primaries being edged with blue-black; side of 

 upper breast, scapulars, inner secondaries, and upper wing 

 coverts pure white ; irides, bill, and tarsi black. 



(2) Male, young, or in seasonal change. Feathers of the wing 

 coverts and secondaries are partly brownish and partly white. 



(3) Immature male. The greater portion of the wing coverts 

 is brownish-white. The black under surface of the body is 

 curiously mottled with white. 



The female, judging by analogy, will no doubt be brownish, 



