230



Mr. Reginald Phillipps,



the point. On page 167 he sums up with :—“ To Mr. Holroyd

now belongs the credit of having first placed on record that the

beautiful Blue Wren is a polygamist, or at all events he has

established that more than one female to a nest assists in the

incubation. However, it has yet to be proved that more than

one bird lays in the same nest—a statement I have doubts about.

I never recollect flushing a male bird from the nest, therefore it

is possible that at times one female may relieve the other at

sitting, if the male does not share in that task.” As Mr. A. G.

Campbell says, the matter awaits more enlightenment. Would

not a systematic examination of the number and style of the

eggs in a series of nests shew whether they had been laid by

one or by more than one female?


Let us now turn to another point in the life history of our

merry little blue friend.


The title of Mr. A.. G. Campbell’s paper is:—“ The Moult

of the Blue Wren (Malurus) ”; and in addition to his own

■observations he gives those of a friend on this subject. These

are all, of course, notes on the wild birds in their native country.

It occurs to me that a few notes on the moult of M. cyaneus (the

only species of the genus I have kept) on this side of the world

should perhaps be placed on record, as my experiences 011 this

point are, I suppose, absolutely unique.


O11 26 May, 1902, I received a male and two females almost

immediately after their arrival in this country. The male was

not in colour, but was easily distinguishable owing to his blackish

bill and dark tail. These points of difference between him and

the females shewed, moreover, that he was an adult bird, for the

immature male is like the female—if I may venture to found a

statement on my London-bred baby male.


According to a writer in Vol. II. of the Emu, page 12, in

the wild state the male may be found coming into colour in

August for the Australian summer and going out of colour in

February for the Australian winter—for British readers must bear

in mind that summer here is winter in Australia and vice versa.

But the dates of change seem to vary somewhat as might be ex¬

pected in so large a country, and Mr. A. G. Campbell tells us

that some under his observation were out of colour from March



