The Emu. 
67 
The new bird, however, may be known on the Vernacular List 
as the Darker Turquoise Wren. 
Description of the male of Malurus whitei : — Crown of head, 
mantle, breast or abdomen, and upper and lower tail coverts 
bright metallic blue, nearest shade turquoise ; chin and throat 
rich cobalt or "new" blue; ear coverts light turquoise blue; lores, 
back of neck, band across breast, and lower back velvety black ; 
wings brownish, with external margins of feathers bluish-green ; 
tail also bluish-green, some of the feathers being tipped with 
dull white ; irides, bill, and tarsi dark. Dimensions in inches : 
Length, 5 ; culmen, 0.3 ; wing, 1.95 ; tail, 2.1 ; tarsus, i. 
It will be obvious that M. whUei, with its head and mantle 
turquoise blue and ear coverts light turquoise blue, differs on the 
one hand from M. nielanotus^ which has head and mantle 
brilliant ultramarine and ear coverts light blue ; and, on the 
other hand, from M. callaimis^ which has head and mantle light 
turquoise blue and ear coverts silvery turquoise, almost white. 
Geographically M, zvhitei also appears intermediate between 
M. melanotus and M. callainus. M. nielanotus is found in the 
Lower Murray district and parts adjacent thereto, M. whitei in 
the interior, and M. callainus in the interior also, with a leaning 
towards the west, if an example in the National Museum, Mel- 
bourne, be correctly located. 
Description of a New Bristle Bird (Sphenura). 
By Alex. Wm. Milligan, Perth. 
The discovery of a new species of Sphemira was made by me 
on the 1 2th October last in the dwarf coastal shrubs at Ellens- 
brook, in the south-west division of this State, about midway 
between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin, whither I had 
gone in the hope of obtaining specimens of Atrichia clamosa. 
The new bird closely resembles Sphenura broadbenti, and at 
first sight I thought that it was that form, or a western variety of 
it, but after examination of a skin of the eastern form belonging 
to the Geelong Museum, and kindly lent by Mr. W. Mulder, I 
felt that I need not have the slightest hesitation in separating it 
from that species. 
The chief differences between the species are that the new one 
is much smaller than Sphenura broadbenti, and that in the former 
the rufous or chestnut head is brighter, and the under surfaces 
lighter than in the latter, and that the yellow gape and triangular 
loral spot present in Sphenura broadbenti is absent in the latter. 
The bird has two distinct calls — alarm notes and song notes. 
The former it utters when closely pursued and pressed, and 
resembles the words pink, pink, pink." The latter is a series 
of clear, liquid, thrush-like notes. 
The bird was most difficult to flush or even see, and it was 
