Order Passeriformes, Family Sylvudae, Genus Malurus. 11 



is a much richer and deeper cream than in C. cruralis. The 

 bright orange-brown blotches correspond very closely in shade 

 in both eggs, though much more thickly distributed in the 

 Eyramytis under review. 



Note. — Mr. Love informs me that the parent bird crouched 

 in the blue-bush, allowing him to approach and almost close 

 the hand over it, when it flitted to the next bush. This species 

 was seen at intervals from Douglas Creek to Barrow Greek. 



Order Passeriformes, Family Sylvudae, Genus 

 Malurus. 



Malurus cyaneus leggei — Southern Blue Wren. 



Adult Male. — Crown of head, feathers on , side of lower 

 mandible extending below the eye, cheeks, ear coverts, and a 

 broad crescent-shaped patch on upper back cerulean blue; a 

 broad line from lores passing above the eye velvety black, join- 

 ing the broad collar of the neck, which is similarly coloured. 

 Back, rump, and upper tail coverts velvety black. Under 

 Surface. — Throat and upper portion of breast blue black, 

 narrowly margined below by a velvety black band, remainder 

 of breast, abdomen and under tail coverts greyish white. In 

 some individuals the greyish white feathers of the breast are 

 washed with blue. Flanks greyish buff, washed with light 

 blue; thighs greyish brown. Wings. — Primaries brown, outer 

 webs of secondaries and upper wing coverts washed with blue. 

 Tail. — Blue, darker above than below, indistinctly narrowly 

 barred with dark blue and tipped with white. Bill. — Black, 

 legs and feet brown. Immature males resemble females in 

 plumage. 



There is still some doubt regarding the seasonal changes 

 of plumage in the male blue wren. It is certain that fully 

 plumaged males are to be seen in plenty at all seasons of the 

 year, and it is also known that captive birds have changed to 

 the brown plumage in winter, to resume their full plumage 

 again before the spring; on the other hand individual males 

 have been watched throughout the year and observed not to 

 change at all. The probabilities are that all males do not 

 change every year. ii is also probable that all birds do not 



