REVISION OF THE GENUS MALURUS. 
Range. — South-western Queensland, south through western New South 
Wales to the mallee country of N.W. Victoria, and adjoining part of South 
Australia. 
Specimens examined . — 28 from the following localities — Mogil, 60 miles 
north of Bourke, near Bourke, Byrock, New South Wales ; Kow Plains, Raak, 
Pine Plains, Linga, Ned’s Corner, Victoria ; Pungonda, Overland Corner, 
Bowhill, South Australia. 
M easurements . — 
Wing Tail Exposed Culmen Tarsus 
23 males . . 50-54 (51-5) 50-63 (58-2) 8-9 (8-2) 20-22 (21-3) 
4 females . . 47-51 (49-2) 55-70 (60*5) 8-9 (8-2) 20 
Male.- Forehead to nape, mantle and upper tail-coverts bradley’s blue ; 
cheeks and ear-coverts ethyl blue ; lores, a band on back and sides of neck, 
which is joined by a narrower band from behind the eye and one from below 
the ear-coverts, black like lower back ; scapulars black tipped blue ; tail 
dusky blue, lighter towards base and some feathers tipped white ; wings 
fuscous, upper coverts suffused with calamine blue like outer margins of 
primaries and secondaries ; under surface bradley’s blue, becoming lighter 
and mottled with white on lower part of abdomen and crossed on the breast 
by a narrow band of black which continues upwards, joining the nuchal band 
on sides of neck ; axillaries and under wing coverts pinkish buff, inner margins 
of wing-quills almost white. “Bill and feet black ; eyes brown.” 
Female. — Upper surface, including wings and upper wing-coverts, fuscous, 
outer margins of wing quills whitish ; tail dusky green-blue, some feathers 
tipped white ; lores and feathers around eye fawn colour ; under surface 
whitish, tinged buff and becoming drab on flanks and under tail-coverts ; 
axillaries and under wing-coverts pinkish buff, inner margins of wing-quills 
cartridge buff. "Bill light brown ; eyes hazel ; feet slate.” 
The field-notes and remarks given by Mathews under the 
heading of this species are confusing. For the most part they 
refer to M. callainus which, in my opinion, is specifically distinct 
from melanotus, and, so far as is known, the ranges of the two 
species do not overlap. 
The series examined shows individual variation but no 
constant localized difference. The Mallee country of Victoria 
is similar and close to the typical locality, and specimens from 
these two districts are not separable. 
M alums ( Malurus ) callainus Gould. 
As stated above, this species is sharply distinct from 
melanotus with which it has been confused. 
Malurus (M.) callainus callainus Gould. 
Malurus callainus Gould, I’roc. Zool. Soc., 1867, p. 302 ; South Australia 
— Eyre Peninsula. 
Malurus melanotus musgravi Mathews, Birds of Aust., 10, p. 69, 1922 ; 
Musgrave Range, Central Australia. 
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