182 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
PLATE XXVI 
FAIRY WRENS OF THE HEATH AND SHRUBS 
1. Blue Wren Malurus cyancus Latham 
Mal-ur-us —Gk, malacos, soft; Gk, our a, tail: cy-cin -e-us- 
blue. 
Gk, cyanos, 
Distribution. — From southern Queensland to Victoria and South Aus¬ 
tralia, Kangaroo Island and Tasmania. 
Notes. —Also called Superb Warbler, Blue Warbler, Blue Bonnet, 
Blue Cap, Blue Tit, Mormon Wren, and Cocktail. Usually in pairs or 
family parties, according to the season of the year. Its favourite haunts 
are thickets on the fringes of scrubs and the banks of watercourses; it is 
also plentiful in orchards and gardens. It has a pretty, tremulous song, 
somewhat like a musical alarm clock. Food: insects and their larvae. The 
young male resembles the f emale; the first change in plumage is the 
appearance of a dark blue tail and dark brown bill. Later other changes 
follow quickly; black feathers appear on the nape and chest, and blue 
feathers on the crown, cheeks, and back. After each breeding-season the 
male moults into the brown phase again, until he is about ‘ three years 
old, when he retains his adult plumage. 
„ . N f S I~r A d . olne : sha Ped structure with an entrance at the side slightly 
anJrnmnm- ajiood, composed of grasses, bark-fibre, rootlets, cobwebs, 
Usuallv built n/ H Vlt l featbe f s ’ ( ur > liair ’ wool, or other soft materials, 
growing^throughAem® ’ rUbS ' m ° re eSP “ iaU >' ,h ° Se wi,h 2 rais 
soottfd 17 i‘ThT h *T i° r • ;° ur \ fleshy or reddish-white, minutely dotted, 
L milw PalG red ’ ° r differcnt shades of reddish-brown, 
July to Febmary g ^ nUmerOUS on the lar ger end. Breeding-season: 
2. Black-backed Wren Malurus melanotus Gould 
md-an-o-tus—G k, melas (melanos ), black; Gk, noton, back. 
Wales *mVcf northT^f 111 al 'V^ e f te r n Queensland, western New South 
l' ,’; 1 western Victoria to the border of Western Australia. 
growing on the S plains'^'n'min 01 P arties - inhabiting low bushes 
thicket? £ the scopes’ of H, A f^ brigal ° w SCrubs ' a,ld in the 
habits to the BhteT™' ^ " 
