RED-BACKED WREN. 
Hall, Emu, Vol. I., p. 89, 1902 ; Le Souef, ib., Vol. II., p. 145, 1903 ; Hall and 
Rogers, ib., Vol. VII., p. 140, 1908 ; Cornwall, ib., p. 175, 1908. 
Malurus cruentatus boweri Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., Ser. II., Vol. I., 1886, p. 1100, 
Feb. 22nd, 1887 : Derby, North-west Australia ; id.. Tab. List Austr. Birds, p. 8, 
1888. 
Malurus boweri Hall, Emu, Key Birds Austr., p. 17, 1899. 
Malurus melanocephalus melanocephalus Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 362, Jan. 
31st, 1912. 
Malurus melanocephalus pyrrhonotus Mathews, ib. ; Cairns, North Queensland : id., Austral 
Av. Rec., Vol. I., p. 60, 1912. 
Malurus melanocephalus cruentatus Mathews, ib. 
Malurus melanocephalus melvillensis Mathews, Austral Av. Rec., Vol. I., pt. 2, p. 45, 
April 2nd, 1912 : Melville Island, Northern Territory. 
Ryania melanocephala melanocephala Mathews, List Birds Austr., p. 228, 1913. 
Ryania melanocephala pyrrhonota Mathews, ib. ; id., South Austr. Ornith., Vol. 2, p. 57, 
1915. 
Ryania melanocephala cruentata Mathews, ib. 
Ryania melanocephala boweri Mathews, ib. ; id., South Austr. Ornith., Vol. 3, p. 176, 1918. 
Malurus ( cruentatus ) pyrrhonotus Campbell and Barnard, Emu, Vol. XVII., p. 28, 1917. 
Distribution. Northern Tropical Australia extending as far south as Derby on the west 
and reaching outside the tropics to New South Wales in the east. 
Adult male. Crown of the head, hind-neck, sides of neck, sides of face, throat, breast, 
abdomen, sides of body, thighs, under tail-coverts, and under wing-coverts deep 
black like the upper wing-coverts, upper tail-coverts and tail, both above and 
below ; flight-quills dark brown with pale edges to the outer webs, under-surface 
of quills similar but more uniform ; scapulars and middle of back deep orange- 
red with yellow bases to the feathers. Bill black, eyes brown, feet flesh. Total 
length 100 mm. ; culmen 9, wing 48, tail 48, tarsus 22. Figured. Collected at 
Cairns, North Queensland, in October, 1908. 
Adult female. Top of head, sides of face, sides of neck and hind-neck mouse-brown ; 
back, wings, and tail rust-brown ; inner webs of bastard-wing, primary-coverts, 
and flight- quills dark brown ; tail dark brown on the terminal portion with obsolete 
cross-bars, and whitish tips and pale margins to some of the feathers ; rictal-bristles 
black ; the short feathers in front of the eye have black hair-like tips which are 
bristly in texture ; throat, breast, and abdomen cream-white ; sides of body, 
thighs, under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts, and inner margins of quills below 
fawn-colour ; remainder of quill-lining hair-brown ; lower aspect of tail similar 
to its upper-surface but rather paler. Bill light horn-colour, eyes brown ; feet 
light yellow-brown. Total length 117 mm. ; culmen 9, wing 45, tail 58, tarsus 20. 
Figured. Collected at Cairns, North Queensland, in August, 1908. 
Immature male. Crown of the head, sides of face, sides of neck, and hind-neck dusky- 
brown with black centres to the feathers ; entire back, scapulars, and upper tail- 
coverts bright red ; outer aspect of the wings earth-brown becoming darker on 
the inner-webs of the flight-quills ; tail dark brown with pale edges to the feathers ; 
chin, throat, breast, and abdomen white with black tips to many of the feathers ; 
sides of body and thighs inclining to buff ; under wing-coverts and inner margins of 
flight-quills pale buff ; remainder of quill-lining hair-brown ; lower aspect of tail 
117 
