THE BIRDS OE AUSTRALIA. 
Mr. Thos. P. Austin has written me from Cobbora, New South Wales: 
During the first nine years I lived here, I did not see a Malurus of any species 
in this district, but since then, the present species has been decidedly on the 
increase. Mostly met with along the banks of the Talbragar River, and about 
my house. They keep in small flocks of from three to half a dozen birds, and 
are polygamous in habits. The males are very pugnacious, and fight every 
time they meet. As one family always lived in my garden, and another at 
a dam only about sixty yards away, the two males were often in sight of each 
other, and I have witnessed many battles, and eventually the group at the 
dam departed altogether, but the others are still in the garden, where they 
rear a brood (only one) of young every year, but those along the river mostly 
have two or more broods each season. The males change their brilliant plumage 
to the same brown colour as the females every year about March or April, but 
can always be identified by the dark blue tail and black bill. The male in 
my garden at the present time (June) is in brown plumage. I am unable to 
say how long they retain this winter coat, but I have noticed that once they 
start to change their plumage, either for winter or summer, it is done wonderfully 
quickly, being completed within less than a week. They look extraordinarily 
little creatures just about the period when the change is half completed. They 
have a very long breeding season, as I have examined nests containing eggs 
from the first week in September till the middle of January, and the clutch 
is usually three or four.” 
A. G. Campbell contributed an article to the Emu (Vol. V., p. 152, 1906) 
on “The Moult of the Blue Wren” which may be referred to, but it is now 
* certain from the varied accounts that the Blue Wren does moult into winter 
plumage, with some unaccounted exceptions, though even A. J. North disputed 
this and definitely stated that they did not change when once the full 
plumage was assumed. I record my correspondent’s views on this subject 
which may be considered settled. 
Captain S. A. White has sent me the following note. “ I have many 
families of Malurus cyaneus leggei in the garden under observation all the year, 
and I think the following would apply to most species. In the first place these 
birds are not polygamous, several birds of both sexes may help to build a nest, 
but only one female lays in it, the male bird being very devoted during the 
time of incubation, keeping in close attendance, and often feeding his mate on 
the nest. They will often build a nest and when completed discover it is too 
exposed, or for some other reason pull it down and rebuild it in another locality. 
The nest is composed of grass, fibres and many other materials, lined with 
feathers ; the eggs are three to five in number, four being the usual clutch ; 
the young are hatched almost naked, and several birds of both sexes will assist 
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