﻿326 
  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  flitting 
  from 
  bough 
  to 
  bough 
  it 
  has 
  a 
  rather 
  head- 
  over-heels 
  kind 
  

   of 
  flight 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  from 
  this 
  curious 
  habit 
  that 
  it 
  gains 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  

   " 
  Cranky 
  Fan." 
  It 
  is 
  very 
  tame 
  in 
  disposition, 
  and 
  has 
  often 
  been 
  

   known 
  to 
  enter 
  dwellings 
  in 
  the 
  bush 
  and 
  amuse 
  itself 
  catching 
  

   flies 
  on 
  the 
  window-panes. 
  Although 
  preferring 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  

   creeks 
  and 
  shady 
  dells, 
  it 
  is 
  no 
  uncommon 
  object 
  in 
  the 
  gardens 
  

   round 
  and 
  about 
  Launceston. 
  The 
  bump 
  of 
  curiosity 
  seems 
  to 
  

   be 
  largely 
  developed 
  in 
  this 
  species 
  ; 
  oftentimes 
  have 
  I 
  had 
  one 
  

   or 
  more 
  flitting 
  round 
  my 
  head 
  and 
  face 
  when 
  standing 
  observ- 
  

   ing 
  their 
  habits 
  in 
  the 
  bush. 
  The 
  flight 
  is 
  weak 
  and 
  wavering, 
  

   many 
  strange 
  antics 
  being 
  performed 
  when 
  on 
  the 
  wing. 
  The 
  

   song 
  is 
  also 
  weak, 
  but 
  pretty 
  : 
  I 
  always 
  enjoy 
  sitting 
  in 
  some 
  

   thickly 
  wooded 
  gully 
  and 
  listening 
  to 
  the 
  Dusky 
  Fantail 
  pouring 
  

   forth 
  its 
  notes 
  to 
  the 
  accompaniment 
  of 
  a 
  babbling 
  rill. 
  During 
  

   the 
  breeding 
  season 
  it 
  goes 
  about 
  in 
  pairs, 
  at 
  other 
  times 
  singly. 
  

  

  Another 
  species 
  of 
  this 
  family 
  also 
  worth 
  consideration 
  is 
  

   the 
  Long-tailed 
  Blue 
  Wren 
  (Malurus 
  gouldi), 
  an 
  insular 
  form 
  

   of 
  the 
  mainland 
  M. 
  cyaneus, 
  from 
  which 
  it 
  differs 
  in 
  being 
  

   slightly 
  larger 
  in 
  build, 
  and 
  its 
  blue 
  of 
  a 
  slightly 
  deeper 
  

   shade. 
  Besides 
  this 
  island, 
  it 
  is 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  Furneaux 
  group 
  

   in 
  Bass 
  Strait. 
  Under 
  various 
  names, 
  such 
  as 
  "Gould's 
  Blue 
  

   Wren," 
  "Cocktail," 
  "Blue 
  Cap," 
  &c, 
  is 
  this 
  beautiful 
  little 
  

   species 
  known. 
  It 
  is 
  well 
  distributed 
  over 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  

   Tasmania, 
  being 
  in 
  some 
  districts 
  very 
  plentiful. 
  The 
  male 
  

   bird 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  amusing 
  little 
  fellow 
  ; 
  the 
  airs 
  and 
  graces 
  he 
  

   assumes 
  are 
  worth 
  watching 
  ; 
  he 
  hops 
  round 
  with 
  his 
  long 
  tail 
  

   erect 
  as 
  though 
  he 
  were 
  a 
  very 
  important 
  personage, 
  as 
  no 
  doubt 
  

   he 
  is 
  in 
  his 
  own 
  estimation. 
  Along 
  and 
  over 
  fallen 
  logs 
  he 
  pro- 
  

   ceeds, 
  darting 
  suddenly 
  to 
  the 
  ground 
  when 
  something 
  choice 
  

   catches 
  his 
  eye, 
  back 
  again 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  logs, 
  now 
  perching 
  on 
  a 
  

   stump 
  to 
  pour 
  out 
  his 
  little 
  song, 
  then 
  once 
  more 
  all 
  on 
  the 
  

   alert, 
  darting 
  after 
  some 
  fly, 
  and 
  poking 
  his 
  little 
  beak 
  into 
  

   every 
  crack 
  and 
  crevice, 
  flitting 
  his 
  tail 
  the 
  while 
  ; 
  so 
  on 
  he 
  

   goes 
  the 
  live 
  -long 
  day, 
  tireless 
  in 
  his 
  inquisitiveness. 
  

  

  The 
  Blue 
  Wren 
  (M. 
  cyaneus) 
  of 
  the 
  mainland 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  

   polygamist 
  ; 
  so, 
  to 
  a 
  certain 
  extent, 
  is 
  our 
  Blue 
  Wren. 
  I 
  have 
  

   often 
  been 
  much 
  struck 
  by 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  a 
  male 
  often 
  has 
  two, 
  and 
  

   sometimes 
  three, 
  females 
  following 
  meekly 
  after 
  him, 
  picking 
  

   up 
  scraps 
  he 
  does 
  not 
  consider 
  good 
  enough 
  for 
  his 
  own 
  lordly 
  

  

  