REVISION OF THE GENUS MALURUS 
flanks and under tail-coverts ; axillaries and under wing-coverts pinkish buff, 
inner margins of wing-quills cartridge buff. “Bill reddish brown, eyes dark 
brown, feet brown.” 
The marked difference in colouration, particularly of the 
head and upper back, between typical lamberti of the coastal 
fringe and assimilis immediately west of the coastal range is 
considered by some workers sufficient to warrant specific rank 
for both. The contrast between individuals, however, is greatly 
minimised in a good series of specimens and by the fact that 
some examples of lamberti from the northern part of its range 
provide evidence of intergradation. For the greater part of 
the range of both, the coastal mountains seem to form an 
effective barrier between them ; but from south to central-east 
Queensland the higher country trends westward away from the 
coast, is more broken, and three distinct races appear to inhabit 
that area. Unfortunately, no specimens are available from the 
coastal country between Rockhampton and South Queensland, 
but those from inland near the former locality are typical 
mastersi as defined below, in the south-east is lamberti, and 
between these two, though well inland, is the type locality of 
dawsonianus (= assimilis). Available material is not sufficient 
for detailed study of the relationship of the three races in that 
part of Queensland. 
M alurus (M.) lamberti assimilis North. 
Malurus assimilis North, Vic. Naturalist, 18, p. 29, 1901 ; Mossgiel, 
New South Wales. 
Malurus lamberti dawsonianus H. L. White, Emu, 16, p. 69, 1916 ; 
Dawson River, South Queensland. 
Range. — North-west Victoria, north-east through inland New South Wales 
to the Dawson River district, South Queensland. 
Specimens examined. — 18 from the following localities — Nhill, Bendigo, 
Linga, Raak, Row Plains, North-west Victoria ; Mossgiel (type of assimilis), 
Bourke, Byrock, Warialda, New South Wales ; Dawson River, Queensland 
(type of dawsonianus) . 
Measurements . — 
Wing Tail Exposed Culmen Tarsus 
12 males . . 48-52 (49-1) 65-75 (71-1) 8-5-10 (9) 20-22 (20-7) 
5 females . . 47-49 (47-8) 54-77 (66-4) 8-9-5 (8-8) 20-21 (20-6) 
Subspecific characters.--- Differs from typical lamberti in the much deeper 
colouration of head, ear-coverts, upper back and tail, approaching nearest in 
this respect to bernieri ; forehead phenyl blue deepening to smalt blue on nape 
and upper back ; ear coverts and feathers around eye about light methyl blue 
tinged smalt blue ; tail dark bluish grey-green ; under surface from breast 
downwards is lighter, being white tinged deep olive-buff on flanks and under 
tail-coverts. The female is brownish olive rather than olive brown on upper 
surface. 
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