THE WKENS 



323 



swiftly to the attack, with its little body crouched, its wings 

 and tail depressed, and its blue mantle standing out like a ruff. 

 It moves quickly over the turfs or over the ground after the 

 manner of a mouse, making angry darts at the intruder until it 

 retires." So writes Mr. G. Graham, of Heyterbury in Victoria, 

 and we regret that we have not space to quote in full his most 

 interesting notes, founded on close observation of the Gould's 



"Ihe Emu." H. Burrell. 



Blue Wren : 21alurus cyaneus, Male, near entrance of Xest. 



or Long-tailed Blue Wren. The eggs are generally three or four 

 in number, of a delicate flesh- white sprinkled with spots and 

 blotches of reddish-brown forming a zone at the large end of the 

 egg, and measure .6 or .7 x .4 or .5 inch. Frequently the nest 

 is invaded by one or other of the Cuckoos. If the full brood is 

 hatched there is generally but one male amongst them. For 

 four months the sexes are alike in brown colouring. In the 

 fifth month the males acquire some of their bright colours. In 

 the tenth or eleventh month a second moult takes place, wheu 



