THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
undergrowth, is sufficient to afford shelter. I came across a little covey of 
M. whitei on Aug. 26th, 1911, on the flat country near Port Germein, South 
Australia, between the Flinder’s Ranges and the shores of St. Vincents Gulf, 
close to the original locality in which Mr. White first discovered it ; the country 
was also similar, there being a profusion of blue bush and salt bush and here 
and there patches of tall mallee, and in the low bushes the birds were located. 
The covey consisted of a fine old male in full breeding plumage and very shy ; 
there was also a couple of young males out of plumage and several females ; 
these females differed in colour from those of M alurus assimilis , of which there 
were plenty about. The male was extremely shy and kept a long distance 
off, darting through the mallee very swiftly, and as I was alone I had great 
difficulty in securing it.” These two notes refer to the same form, which accord- 
ing to his later note is callainus. Sullivan has noted that the tail-feathers of 
the female are blue, and this is not a feature of the winter plumage of the male 
as suggested in the case of M. cyaneus. 
Wilson has recorded : “ The beautiful plumage of this and the following 
species is one of the first things to catch the eye of the ornithologist visiting 
the mallee. Although occasionally found in the porcupine grass country, 
it usually inhabits the turpentine-bush and low scrubby growths of the flats, 
where it is a very common bird. Several skins showing the interesting changes 
of plumage of the male bird were secured.” 
Captain S. A. White has written : “I was not at all surprised to 
find this glorious little bird, for it was from the Murray mallee belts 
that John Gould procured his type. On comparing this bird with skins 
procured by Mr. A. J. Campbell from the mallee in Victoria they are found 
to be identical.” 
Captain S. A. White sent me a long note which I here include, though 
part has since been published. “ This beautiful bird was of the greatest interest, 
and when I shot the first specimen I was overcome with memories of the past, 
for it was in 1865, some five years before I came into existence, that my late 
father, the intrepid ornithologist and explorer Samuel White, discovered this 
gem of bird life not more than 30 or 40 miles from where we must have camped, 
and it was from one of two specimens which he there secured that John Gould 
described the bird in his Supplement, pt. iv., where he remarked: ‘that this 
gentleman may again visit the home of the species and obtain the female is 
my ardent wish . . . and I have no doubt he will do so ; for I have reason 
to believe that no one of my correspondents in Australia is more keenly alive 
to the interests which attaches to our favourite branch of science — orni- 
thology.’ The late Samuel White did not return to the haunts of this bird, 
but forty-seven years later his son and daughter-in-law did, and procured 
64 
