THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
had contained a brood of young within a very short distance of the homestead, 
and found another nest containing eggs not a quarter of a mile away, its 
familiarity will be at once apparent.. Again, I climbed nearly to the highest 
point of the ridge traversing the island, known as Herald Heights (600 feet), 
and found pairs or parties of Pied Wrens right up to the summit. During the 
breeding season the male, in nuptial dress, is not difficult of approach, and on 
numerous occasions I have watched him at a distance of a few feet. The 
females and immature birds will almost come to one’s feet if called up and the 
observer stands quite motionless. The nuptial male, however, is more silent 
than males in brown plumage, and it was seldom I heard him uttering the 
familiar reeling notes. It is easy to distinguish the brown plumaged birds of 
M. leucopterus from those of M. assimilis. The latter possess hazel-brown beaks 
and are much more robust generally, apart from the wings and flanks being 
of a different tint. Call note and alarm note too are different. The breeding 
season, in an average year, extends from June to the end of September. Many 
pairs rear two broods.” 
As regards the taxonomic status of these two very similarly coloured 
birds, at present two conclusions are on record. When I drew up my “ Reference 
List,” with the Barrow Island specimens in view, and only the figure of the 
Dirk Hartog form, and the conflicting views as to whether they were identical 
or distinct, I pursued the middle course and allowed them as subspecies 
without any remarks. Later, I separated the bird generically and still ranged 
the forms as subspecies, with the Dirk Hartog bird questioned as being extinct. 
The rediscovery of the latter and comparison showed slight differences, but I 
was unable to gauge their value. Carter with accurate field knowledge suggested 
their very close relationship with the mainland Blue and White Wren, thus 
confirming North’s opinion of many years before. 
Campbell wrote : “ The chief points of difference between the Barrow 
Island bird and that of Dirk Hartog Island are that the latter ( leucopterus ) 
has the darker blue tail (deep, dull, violaceous blue), corresponding with the 
colour of that of the Blue and White Wren ( cyanotus ) of the mainland. The 
tail of the former ( edouardi ) is a more greyish- violaceous blue, while the 
female edouardi nearly resembles the colour (fawn) of the female blue and 
white bird, the female leucopterus being fighter (drab). It also appears that 
the feathers of the lower part of the tibia of the male leucopterus are dusky 
grey, as in cyanotus , while the entire tibia of edouardi is black. From an 
examination of workable material these differences seem constant, and, there 
being intermediate forms of Black and White species, the two varieties may 
be separated on visual examination, without the assistance of attached labels.” 
Campbell also wrote above : “ the two island varieties are now figured together 
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