90 
The Emu. 
The moulting of the quills is effected between May and 
August, according to four skins f, Ji, and another). In July- 
Mr. Rogers observed several small troops without any red bird 
amongst them. The young male, young female, and adult 
female bear a likeness to each other. 
a. Young male, 15/8/00. No sign of red. Uniform brown 
above, creamy white below ; bill, legs, and feet pale nutty- 
brown ; irides ashy-grey. Length of tail, 2.5 inches. 
b. Young male, 1/8/00. Similar to a ; much smaller tail ; a 
few pale red feathers appear near the shoulders and on the 
back. 
c. Young male, 25/2/00. Similar to b. In addition to about 
the same quantity of red upon the back as in b, there is a small 
break of black upon the chest. Bill slightly darker than in b. 
d. Young male, 28/3/00. This specimen is undergoing a 
moult of all but the quills. The red of the back is nearly com- 
plete, but the colour is bright crimson. The first of the black 
upon the ventral surface takes the shape of a pectoral collar with 
odd " blacks " on the throat sides ; crown and sides of face 
show about half black and half brown feathers ; bill deep 
brown to blackish-brown. About midway between youth and 
maturity. [Irides ashy-grey ; legs and feet fleshy-brown.] 
e. Immature male, 18/8/00. General appearance very woe- 
begone ; the act of moult showing three strongly contrast- 
ing colours, the bird having the dense black of the adult, the 
grey of the young, and red. Every part of the body shows the 
transition stage — as, for instance, the tail quills are partly long 
and brown and partly short and black ; also the wing coverts, 
the head, and whole under surface. [Bill browny-black ; irides 
greyish.] 
f. Immature male, 24/7/00. This is a stage in advance of ^, 
with a more orderly appearance in its plumage ; bill blacker ; 
red of back not yet so intensely crimson as in g, the adult. 
g. Adult male, 24/7/00. The last trace of moult into perfect 
stage is shown in the barrels of the smaller tail quills. Back 
deep crimson ; bill jet black. 
The specimens marked // and j are females, showing the tail 
quills to be moulting on 3/^/00 and 14/5/00. 
On 7/1/00 Mr. Rogers found this species to be a foster-parent 
to the Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo {Chalcococcyx basalis, Hors- 
field). 
According to adult male skins received up to June, I find 
a moult of the red is effected in this species of the Red-backed 
section of Malurus. 
[Prior to August I have seen many flocks without one bird 
showing any red, except on one occasion when in the long grass 
I saw an adult male with the " red " much faded and abraded 
(15/6/00). On 23rd August, 1 90 1, I saw the first coloured male 
of the season. When feeding among fallen leaves of freshwater 
