THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
a 
smaller scrubs. Naturally at the foot of the slopes of such a hill one finds 
a shallow creek. I found it a good plan to follow up the creek, keeping a 
sharp look out and having both ears open for the feeble, but high-pitched 
alarm note. With the aid of a little artifice in the imitation of the call note, 
or failing that, with a representation of the cry of a wounded bird, the 
female may generally be induced to show herself, and after a time, in most 
cases, the male ; but the latter, perhaps, being devoid of what is termed 
feminine ’ curiosity, soon retires again. . . M. pulcherrimus is, I believe, 
strictly confined to the south-west of this State ; but I hardly think it 
touches the coastal districts anywhere, its place being taken by M. elegans, 
also a dark blue-breasted bird, but easily distinguished by the very pale blue 
(or bluish-white) of the back. I may also state that in the brown plumage both 
sexes of these species are readily separable. In the adult male the beak, 
once it becomes black, remains black ; but in females and young males the 
beak of M. elegans is of a light cinnamon brown, in contrast with dark hazel 
brown in the case of M. pulcherrimus. Also, the loral stripe differs in the 
same degree, being deep chocolate in M. pulcherrimus and warm brown in 
M. elegans. I may add that these features in another species, found also 
in localities frequented by both the former, viz., M. splendens — are still 
lighter, the beak being cinnamon and the loral stripe of quite a pale ferru- 
ginous tint. But in the cases of M. pulcherrimus and M. elegans a surer 
guide exists in the colour of the upper parts. M. pulcherrimus has these more 
like M. splendens, being rather ashy in tint, whereas in M. elegans the whole 
of the wing is of a dull snuff colour. I also find that the throat and breast 
of M. elegans are much paler than in the case of M. pulcherrimus, the same 
tendency towards ‘ ashiness 5 being observable in the latter.” 
Although Milligan recorded the differences he recognised from descrip- 
tion, apparently he never confirmed them by actual comparison, yet they 
actually exist and from specimens I named 
Malurus pulcherrimus stirlingi. 
“ Differs from M. p. pulcherrimus in having the chestnut scapulars 
and the head much darker, and the ear-coverts lighter ; the flanks also are 
browner. (Type of M. pulcherrimus is from the Wongan Hills) Stirling 
Ranges, South-west Australia.” 
In my 1913 “List” I referred them to the genus Leggeornis , writing 
Leggeornis pulcherrimus pulcherrimus Gould. 
Wongan Hills, South-west Australia. 
Leggeornis pulcherrimus stirlingi Mathews. 
Stirling Ranges, South-west Australia. 
And apparently nothing since then has been recorded. 
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