286 BIRDS OF THE DISTRICT OF GEELONG 
carry the tail high over the back, and move over the 
ground with great rapidity in a series of tiny hops; 
but the female, plain brown above and whitish below, 
is hardly comparable with her splendid mate, whose 
light metallic-blue crown and upper back, contrasting 
with the velvety black of the rest of the upper surface, 
make him the most admired of small birds. 
Many, perhaps all, of the males moult once a year, 
losing then the bright plumage, and taking on for the 
nonce a sober coat where just an odd glint of blue 
shows here and there ; at that season they are only 
distinguishable by the black beak and the deep blue 
of the tail. But you may see, in May, June, July, and 
August, dozens of male Blue Wrens resplendent in 
full plumage, so that it is clear that the moult does 
not occur in all the birds at the same time. 
No species is more widespread in its distribution. 
It is to be found, I should think one is safe in saying, 
in every country hedgerow in the county of Grant, 
and is as much at home in our town gardens as in the 
seclusion of the deep gullies through which tiny creeks 
trickle down towards the ocean from the Otway hills. 
Only it must have bushes of a fair size ; you will never 
find it on treeless plains, however thick the tussocks 
grow. If I had to select the spot where I thought 
it most abundant, I should say the hill-slopes of Airey's 
Inlet ; but really it is everywhere. 
The nest is oval, built of fine grasses externally, 
and lined with hair and feathers. The side entrance 
is so large that one can only just say of the nest that 
