THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
taken specimens in various localities ; at Ourimbah Creek in the Gosford District 
I noted them commonly, and I also saw them near Mt. Cooroy in the Blaekall 
Ranges, South Queensland. They keep to the thick undergrowth that fills 
in the spaces beneath the high trees, coming out into the tracts and clearings 
now and then, and hopping about in search of small insects and flies, upon 
which they five ; there are always several females in each covey.” 
Le Souef and Macpherson, writing of the birds of Sydney, which is the type 
locality of the species, state : “ There are a few pairs of Lambert’s Wren 
Warbler {M alurus lamberti ) in the parks around the harbour ; but, as they keep 
to the undergrowth, they are not so often seen. However, they come more 
often in the open in the autumn, and even overlap the domain of the Blue Wren. 
In March last a party were heard uttering their little trills in rather an excited 
way, and investigation showed that they were in a small bush scolding some- 
thing in the grass below. A male ‘ Blue ’ also came to see what the fuss was 
about, and flew into the same bush, only to be promptly chased out again by 
the female Lamberts, but the male Lambert ignored him. The cause of the 
trouble was a rat, which ran away through the bushes, and was closely followed 
by the birds.” 
This item serves to draw attention that in White’s Voyage to New South 
Wales this bird was figured on the same plate as the Blue Wren, as at that 
time the experts were not certain whether they were distinct species or only 
plumage changes, while Lewin painted this bird under the name of Sylvia 
cyanea ; and it was distinguished by Latham in MS., but was first published, 
as noted above, by Vigors and Horsfield. 
Mr. Tom Carter’s notes read : “ The Variegated Wren, though given in 
your 1912 4 Reference List ’ as ranging through West Australia, is restricted 
to the more northern parts and mid-west inland areas. In some seasons 
(especially after good rains) it was fairly plentiful in the Gascoyne and North- 
west Cape districts, right down to the coast. About Point Cloates they were 
to be seen in the small patches of scrub in the hollows of the coast sandhills, 
and in the gullies and gorges of the rugged ranges extending from there to 
the North-west Cape. In August and September, 1911, they were quite 
common about Carnarvon and Maud’s Landing, thirty-five miles south of 
Point Cloates, probably because rains had fallen along the coast, while 
drought prevailed inland. During this trip one specimen was shot on the 
Mrnilya River, having the centre of the back blue instead of the usual mauve 
tint, and the blue on the throat was much more pronounced than usual. Some 
male specimens were also obtained in immature plumage that were undoubtedly 
breeding. One family party of these birds was observed on the edge of the 
beach, near Carnarvon, catching small insects off the seaweed washed up, a few 
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