112 MUSOICAPID^.' 



Genus MALURUS, Vieillot. 



■r MALURUS CYANEUS, Mlis. 



Superb Warbler. 

 Oouy, Handhk. Bds. Aust , Vol. i., sp. 185, p. 317. 



This species is found breeding almost everywhere in New South 

 Wales, even in the public parks about Sydney, a pair successfully 

 rearing a brood of five young ones in the Museum grounds last year. 

 The nest is dome shaped, having a small entrance at the side, and is 

 constructed of grasses, warmly lined with feathers or other soft 

 materials. It is usually placed in some low, thick bush ; when 

 breeding in any of the public gardens, the prickly Acacice is a 

 favourite situation. Eggs five in number for a sitting, fleshy- 

 white, with rich reddish dots, spots, and blotches, in some these are 

 confluent, forming a broken zone on the larger end, while in others 

 the markings are in a coalesced patch on the apex. A set of five 

 taken at Dobroyde, August 9th, 1862, measure : — (A) 0-68 x 0-5 

 inch ; (B) 061 x 0-5 inch ; (C) 0-62 x 0-48 inch ; (D) 0-66 x 0-47 

 inch ; (E) -0-68 x 05 inch. 



They breed from August to January. 



Hob. Richmond and Clarence River Districts, New South 

 Wales, Victoria and South Australia. {Ramsay.) 



* MALURUS CYAN0CHLAMY8, Sharpe. 



P.Z.S., 1881, p. 788. 



This species is closely allied to M. cyaneus, from which it may 

 be known by the much paler cobalt tint of the head, ear-coverts, 

 and mantle. Specimens of this bird were obtained on the 

 Herbert River, Queensland, in November 1868, together with the 

 nest and eggs. The nest is a dome-shaped structure, with an 

 entrance in the side, constructed of dried grasses intermingled with 

 spiders' webs, and lined inside with feathers, hair, &c., it was 

 placed in a thick bush close to the ground. Eggs four in number 



