Chapter II: Part 2

The Lyre-bird is of a wandering disposition, and although it probably keeps to the same brush, it is constantly engaged in traversing it from one end to the other, from mountain-top to the bottom of the gullies, whose steep and rugged sides present no obstacle to its long legs and powerful muscular thighs; it is also capable of performing extraordinary leaps; and I have heard it stated that it will spring ten feet perpendicularly from the ground. It appears to be of solitary habits, as I have never seen more than a pair together, and these only in a single instance; they were both males, and were chasing each other round and round with extreme rapidity, apparently in play, pausing every now and then to utter their loud shrill calls: while thus employed they carried the tail horizontally, as they always do when running quickly through the bush, that being the only position in which this great organ could be conveniently borne at such times. Among its many curious habits, the only one at all approaching to those of the _Gallinaceæ_ is that of forming small round hillocks, which are constantly visited during the day, and upon which the male is continually trampling, at the same time erecting and spreading out its tail in the most graceful manner and uttering his various cries, sometimes pouring forth his natural notes, at others mocking those of other birds, and even the howling of the native dog or Dingo. The early morning and the evening are the periods when it is most animated and active.

It may truly be said that all the beauty of this bird lies in the plumage of his tail, the new feathers of which appear in February or March, but do not attain their full beauty and perfection until June; during this and the four succeeding months it is in its finest state; after this the feathers are gradually shed, to be resumed again at the period above stated. I am led to believe that they are all assumed simultaneously, by the fact of a native having brought to my camp a specimen with a tail not more than six inches long, the feathers of which were in embryo, and all of the same length. Upon reference to my journal I find the following notes upon the subject:—“Mar. 14, Liverpool range. Several _Menuras_ killed to-day: their tails not so fine as they will be.” “Oct. 25.—I find this bird is now losing its tail-feathers; and, judging from appearances, they will be all shed in a fortnight.”

Although upon one occasion I forced this bird to take wing, it was merely for the purpose of descending a gully, and I am led to believe that it seldom exerts this power unless under similar circumstances. It is particularly partial to traversing the trunks of fallen trees, and frequently attains a considerable altitude by leaping from branch to branch. Independently of its loud full call, which may be heard reverberating over the gullies to the distance of at least a quarter of a mile, it possesses an inward and varied song, the lower notes of which can only be heard when you have successfully approached to within a few yards of the bird during the time it is singing. This animated strain is frequently discontinued abruptly, and again commenced with a low, inward, snapping noise, ending with an imitation of the loud and full note of the Satin Bird, and always accompanied with a tremulous motion of the tail.

The food of the _Menura_ appears to consist principally of insects, particularly centipedes and coleoptera; I also found the remains of shelled snails in the gizzard, which is very strong and muscular.

I regret that circumstances did not admit of my acquiring a perfect knowledge of the nidification of this very singular bird; I never found the nest but once, and this unfortunately was after the breeding-season was over; but all those of whom I made inquiries respecting it, agreed in assuring me that it is either placed on the ledge of a projecting rock, at the base of a tree, or on the top of a stump, but always near the ground; and a cedar cutter whom I met in the brushes informed me that he had once found a nest, which, to use his own expression, was “built like that of a magpie,” adding that it contained but one egg, and that upon his visiting the nest again some time afterwards he found in it a newly-hatched young, which was helpless and destitute of the power of vision. The natives state that the eggs are two in number, of a light colour, freckled with spots of red. The nest seen by myself, and to which my attention was drawn by my black companion Natty, was placed on the prominent point of a rock, in a situation quite secluded from observation behind, but affording the bird a commanding view and easy retreat in front; it was deep and shaped like a basin, and had the appearance of having been roofed; was of a large size, formed outwardly of sticks, and lined with the inner bark of trees and fibrous roots.

General plumage brown; the secondary wing-feathers nearest the body, and the outer webs of the remainder rich rufous brown; upper tail-coverts tinged with rufous; chin and front of the throat rufous, much richer during the breeding-season; all the under surface brownish ash-colour, becoming paler on the vent; upper surface of the tail blackish brown; under surface silvery grey, becoming very dark on the external web of the outer feather; the inner webs of these feathers fine rufous, crossed by numerous bands, which at first appear of a darker tint, but on close inspection prove to be perfectly transparent; the margin of the inner web and tips black; bill and nostrils black; irides blackish brown; bare space round the eye blackish lead-colour; legs and feet black, the scales mealy.

The female differs in wanting the singularly formed tail, and in having the bare space round the eye less extensive and less brilliantly coloured.

The Plate represents the two sexes, about half the natural size.

PSOPHODES CREPITANS: _Vig. & Horsf._

_J. & E. Gould del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

PSOPHODES CREPITANS, _Vig. & Horsf._
Coach-whip Bird.

_Muscicapa crepitans_, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. li.

_Coach-whip Flycatcher_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 222.

_Coach-whip Honey-eater_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. iv. p. 187.

_Psophodes crepitans_, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 329.

_Djou_, Aborigines of New South Wales.

This bird, so renowned for the singularity of its note, is very abundant in many parts of New South Wales, to which portion of the Australian continent it appears to be confined, as I have never met with it in collections from any other part of the country. It is to be found only in dense brushes, such as those at Maitland, Manning, Illawarra, and the cedar brushes of the Liverpool range; in fact, the localities that are suitable to the _Menura_ and the Wattled Talegalla, are congenial to the habits of the Coach-whip Bird, which in some degree assimilate to those of the former; and the loud full note of this bird, ending sharply like the cracking of a whip, with which the woods are constantly reverberating, appeared to me, although very dissimilar, to be analogous to the peculiar call of the _Menura_; and I would further remark that a great resemblance is observable in the structure of the two birds.

The Coach-whip Bird is a shy and recluse species, for although its full notes indicate its presence, it rarely exposes itself to view, but generally keeps in the midst of the densest foliage and among the thickest climbing plants, frequenting alike those that have intertwined themselves with the branches of the tallest shrubs, and those that form almost impenetrable masses near the ground, and through which it threads its way with the utmost ease. In these arboreal habits it less resembles _Menura_ than in other parts of its economy. It is extremely animated and sprightly in all its actions, raising its crest and spreading its tail in the most elegant manner, generally carrying this organ slightly raised, but never elevating it in the grotesque style of the Blue Wrens (_Maluri_). These actions become even more animated during the spring, when the males may often be seen chasing each other, frequently stopping to pour out their notes with great volubility, making the brushes ring for a considerable distance around them, and displaying themselves to the greatest advantage.

The food consists of insects of various kinds, obtained almost entirely from the ground, and sought for by scratching up the leaves and turning over the small stones, precisely after the manner of the _Menura_.

Independently of its peculiar whistle, which must be heard to be understood, as it is impossible to convey an idea of it by words, it possesses a low inward song of considerable melody.

The rounded form of the wings and graduated tail, as well as the softness of the feathers of the back, have induced some authors to consider it to be allied to the Bush Shrikes of America (_Thamnophili_); but the structure of its bill, which is so essentially different, being totally devoid of the notch on both the mandibles, must have been overlooked, and in no one of its habits or actions does it assimilate to those birds.

The sexes are much alike in colour, but may be readily distinguished by the more obscure plumage, and lesser size of the female. The young of the first year are of a much browner hue, a character of plumage that soon gives place to the adult livery. Of its nidification I regret to say I know nothing, although I paid great attention to the subject myself, and offered rewards for its nest and eggs, and for any information respecting them.

The male has the head, ear-coverts, chin and breast black; a large patch of white on each side of the neck, all the upper surface, wings, flanks, and base of the tail-feathers olive-green; the remaining portion of the tail-feathers black, the three lateral feathers on each side tipped with white; under surface olive-brown, some of the feathers on the centre of the abdomen tipped with white, and forming a conspicuous irregular patch; irides brownish red; bill, inside and out, and base of the tongue black; feet reddish brown.

The Plate represents the male and female of the natural size, on the branch of a plant growing abundantly in the brushes of the Hunter, with the scientific name of which I am not acquainted, but which is called the Cherry by the colonists.

PSOPHODES NIGROGULARIS: _Gould_.

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

PSOPHODES NIGROGULARIS, _Gould_.
Black-throated Psophodes.

_Psophodes nigrogularis_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., January 23,
1844.

The addition of a second species to the genus _Psophodes_ will be hailed with pleasure by every one who makes the science of ornithology a matter of study; nor will its discovery be a subject of surprise to us, as it is only another illustration of that beautiful law of representation which is conspicuously carried out in Australia. The habitat of the present bird will doubtless be hereafter found to be as strictly confined to the western part of the continent as that of the _P. crepitans_ is to the eastern. As yet only a single example has reached me, and in all probability no other specimen has ever fallen by the gun of any individual. It is to Mr. Gilbert’s perseverance that science is indebted for the knowledge of this new bird, and his notes which accompanied the specimen (a male) I here transcribe:—“Inhabits thickets of a small species of _Leptospermum_ growing among the sand hills which run parallel with and adjacent to the beach. It utters a peculiar harsh and grating song which it is quite impossible to describe, and which is so different from that of every other bird I ever heard or am acquainted with, that I shall have no difficulty in recognizing it again wherever I may hear it. I heard it for the first time, together with the notes of many other birds equally strange to me, in the vicinity of the Wongan Hills a few weeks back, but could not then obtain a sight of the bird, although I knew from its singular and never to be mistaken note that it was only a few yards from me.”

Plumage of the upper surface olive; under surface ashy, passing into brown on the flanks and white on the centre of the abdomen; primaries brown; tail light olive-brown, the four lateral feathers crossed near the extremity with a hand of black, and tipped with white; throat deep black, with a stripe of white from the angle of the lower mandible, just within the black; bill dark horn-colour; irides dark brown; feet dark horn-colour.

The figures are of the natural size.

SPHENOSTOMA CRISTATUM: _Gould_.

_J. & E. Gould del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

SPHENOSTOMA CRISTATUM, _Gould_.
Crested Wedge-bill.

_Sphenostoma cristatum_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p.
150.—Ib. Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV.

Several years have now elapsed since I published the characters of this bird in the “Zoological Proceedings,” and a figure of the head in my “Synopsis.” I had little or nothing to communicate respecting its history at that time, and I regret to say that the interval has not added to my knowledge of the subject. The specimen from which my description and figure were originally taken was a female; and although the male differs but little in its outward appearance, still the rather more produced form of the bill supplies a key as to what tribe of birds it appears to be most nearly allied, that of _Psophodes_; at the same time it must be admitted, that the affinity is somewhat remote, and it may be that my conclusions are not well-founded: a knowledge of its habits will materially assist in clearing up this point.

It is an inhabitant of the low scrubby trees and _Polygonum_, bushes which stud the hot plains of the interior of Australia, particularly those on the borders of the Lachlan and Darling: Mr. Charles Coxen has also killed it on the Lower Namoi, but could tell me nothing of its habits. Whether it has any kind of loud sharp whistle analogous to that of the Coach-whip-bird (_Psophodes crepitans_), or if it has the same shy disposition, it would be interesting to ascertain; and to these points, as well as to all other details connected with its history, I would call the attention of those who may visit the interior, or may otherwise be favourably situated for observing them. The sombre tints of the bird are very like the colour of the earth of the plains it inhabits; and when the nature of its food shall have been ascertained, its wedge-shaped bill will doubtless be found admirably adapted for procuring it.

General plumage brown, lighter beneath; chin and centre of the abdomen greyish white; wings dark brown, edged with pale brown, the fourth and fifth primaries conspicuously margined with white; four centre tail-feathers dark brown, indistinctly barred with a still darker hue; the remainder brownish black, largely tipped with white; bill blackish brown; feet lead-colour.

The figures are of the natural size.

MALURUS CYANEUS: _Vieill._

_J. & E. Gould del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

MALURUS CYANEUS, _Vieill._
Blue Wren.

_Sylvia cyanea_, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 545.

_Motacilla cyanea_, Gmel. Syst. Nat., vol. i. p. 991.

—— _superba_, Shaw, Nat. Misc., pl. 10.

_Superb Warbler_, Shaw in White’s Voy., pl. in p. 256, upp. fig.—Ib.
Gen. Zool., vol. x. p. 754. pl. 58.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol.
vii. p. 117, but not the plate.

_Malurus cyaneus_, Vieill. Gal. des Ois., p. 265. pl. 163.—Vig. &
Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 221.—Jard. and Selb.
Ill. Orn., vol. ii. pl. 72. fig. 3.—Gould, Syn. Birds of
Australia, Part I.

_Superb Warbler_, _Blue Wren_, etc., of the colonists.

Of the lovely group of birds forming the genus _Malurus_, the present species is the oldest known, being that figured in White’s Voyage to New South Wales, under the name of Superb Warbler, a term by which the bird is still familiarly known in Australia. It is abundantly dispersed over every portion of the colony of New South Wales, and I observed it to be equally numerous on the plains of the interior to the northward; but how far its range may extend in that direction, can only be determined when those parts of the continent shall have been fully explored. I also killed specimens in South Australia, which I then believed to be identical with the present bird; but on comparison since my return, I find them to be more nearly allied to the _Malurus longicaudus_, at the same time possessing characters different from either; a further knowledge of the South Australian bird is therefore necessary, before I can determine to which it is referable, or if it may not be distinct from both.

The kind of country to which the _Malurus cyaneus_ gives preference is of a wild and sterile character, thinly covered with low scrubby brushwood, especially localities of this description situated near the borders of rivers and ravines. During the months of winter it associates in small troops, of from six to eight in number, probably the brood of a single pair; it is of a very wandering disposition, and although never migrating to any great distance, is continually traversing the district in which it was bred, retiring at night-fall to roost in the accustomed haunt. At this period of the year the plumage of the sexes is so nearly alike, that a minute examination is requisite to distinguish them, and hence has risen the supposition that there was but one male to several females. The old males, however, have at all seasons the bill black, whereas the young males during the first year, and the females, have this organ always brown; the tail-feathers also, which with the primaries are only moulted once a year, are of a deeper blue in the male than in the other sex. As spring advances they separate into pairs, the male undergoing a total transformation, not only in the colour, but also in the texture of its plumage; indeed, a more astonishing change can scarcely be imagined, its plain and unassuming garb being thrown off for a few months and another assumed, which for resplendent beauty is hardly surpassed by any of the feathered race, certainly by none but the Humming-birds and Cotingas of America: nor is the change confined to the plumage alone, but extends also to its habits; in fact, its whole character and nature appear to have received a new impulse; the little creature now displaying great vivacity, proudly showing off its gorgeous attire to the utmost advantage, and pouring out its animated song unceasingly, until the female has completed her task of incubation, and the craving appetites of its newly-hatched young call forth a new feeling, and give its energies a new direction. After satisfying myself that the gaily-adorned plumage of the male is only assumed during the summer season, I endeavoured to ascertain at what periods these changes take place, and I found that the adult males generally begin to assume their blue dress in March, and to throw it off again for their winter garb in August; but although the greater number undergo their periodical change simultaneously, still individuals may occasionally be met with in their brilliant plumage even in the depth of winter, owing to some peculiar circumstance having caused them to retain it later than usual, or having induced them to assume it at a much earlier period.

During the winter months no bird can be more tame and familiar, frequenting the gardens and shrubberies of the settler, and hopping about their houses as if desirous to court, rather than shun, the presence of man; but the male, when adorned with his summer plumage, becomes more shy and retiring, appearing to have an instinctive consciousness of the danger to which his beauty subjects him; nevertheless they will frequently build their little nest and rear their young in the most populous places. Several broods are reared annually in the Botanic Garden at Sydney, and I saw a pair busily employed in constructing their nest in a tree close to the door of the Colonial Secretary’s Office in that town. The short and rounded wing incapacitates it for protracted flight, but the amazing facility with which it is enabled to pass over the surface of the ground fully compensates for this deficiency: this mode of progression is scarcely to be called running, but is rather a succession of bounding hops, performed with great rapidity: while thus employed its tail is carried perpendicularly or thrown forward over the back; in fact, except during flight, this organ is rarely, if ever, carried horizontally.

The breeding-season continues from September to January, during which period at least two, if not three, broods are reared: the young of one being scarcely old enough to provide for themselves, before the female again commences laying: independently of rearing her own young, she is also the foster-parent of the Bronze Cuckoo (_Chalcites lucidus_), a single egg of which species is frequently found deposited in her nest; but by what means, is, as in the case of the European Cuckoo, unknown.

The nest, which is dome-shaped, with a small hole at the side for an entrance, is generally constructed of grasses, lined with feathers or hair: the site chosen for its erection is usually near the ground, in a secluded bush, tuft of grass, or under the shelter of a bank. The eggs are generally four in number, of a delicate flesh-white, sprinkled with spots and blotches of reddish brown, which are more abundant, and form an irregular zone at the larger extremity: they are eight lines long by five and a half broad.

The song is a hurried strain impossible to describe, but somewhat resembling that of the Wren of Europe, a bird to which the _Maluri_ also assimilate in many of their actions.

The stomach is muscular, and the food consists of insects of various kinds, collected on the ground, the trunks of fallen trees, etc.

The male in summer has the crown of the head, ear-coverts and a lunar-shaped mark on the upper part of the back light metallic blue; lores, line over the eye, occiput, scapularies, back, rump and upper tail-coverts velvety black; throat and chest bluish black, bounded below by a band of velvety black; tail deep blue, indistinctly barred with a darker hue and finely tipped with white; wings brown; under surface buffy white, tinged with blue on the flanks; irides blackish brown; bill black; feet brown.

The female has the lores and a circle surrounding the eye reddish brown; upper surface, wings and tail brown; under surface brownish white; bill reddish brown; feet fleshy brown.

The Plate represents two males and a female with the nest, the former engaged in feeding a young Cuckoo.

MALURUS LONGICAUDUS: _Gould_.

_J. & E. Gould del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

MALURUS LONGICAUDUS, _Gould_.
Long-tailed Wren.

_Malurus longicaudus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 148.

This species offers so general a resemblance to the Superb Warbler (_M. cyaneus_), that some ornithologists may still be inclined to consider it identical with that species; there are, however, differences in their characters which I find to be constant, and which are, I think, of sufficient importance to justify their being separated. The examination of great numbers of specimens enables me to affirm that the present species has the blue markings much more intense, is superior in size, and has a much longer tail. If the larger birds had been inhabitants of a warmer climate, where insect food is more abundant, it would have permitted the supposition that temperature had had some influence in effecting this difference; but as exactly the reverse is the case, I have been strengthened in my opinion of their being distinct, and have accordingly given it a name; that of _longicaudus_ appearing to me the most appropriate, as at once distinguishing it from the _Malurus cyaneus_, in which that organ is much shorter. It is so universally dispersed over Van Diemen’s Land, as well as the islands in Bass’s Straits, that to particularize any one part of the former island where it is found more than another would be vain, since it is present in every gully, and every other place where low scrubby bushes and underwood are to be met with: I have also received a single specimen in its winter dress from Kangaroo Island, which I believe is referable to this species. Active and cheerful, and possessing a sweet warbling song, the present bird is as much a favourite in Van Diemen’s Land as the Superb Warbler is in New South Wales, and, like its congener, in the winter season it is equally tame and familiar. It is subject to the same changes of plumage, and its whole economy is so similar as to render a separate description unnecessary. Its nest is also similarly constructed, but is rather of a larger size; it is usually composed of grasses and leaves warmly lined with feathers, and in some instances with the fur of the Kangaroo and Opossum; and placed either in a small bush near the ground, or artfully built in a tuft of grass. The season of reproduction commences in August and lasts until January, during which time two or three broods are reared. Like the _M. cyaneus_, it is also the foster-parent of the Bronze Cuckoo (_Chalcites lucidus_). The eggs, which bear a similar character, but proportionately larger than those of the _M. cyaneus_, are four or five in number, of a flesh-white, blotched and spotted with markings of reddish brown, particularly at the larger end, where they form an irregular zone: they are nearly nine lines long by six and a quarter broad.

The long legs of this species admirably adapt it for the ground, and for traversing the fallen trunks of trees, along which, with tail erect, it passes with the utmost activity: it is also frequently to be observed among the low trees and bushes, the male often selecting a small prominent bare twig, whereon to perch and warble forth his animated song.

Its food consists of insects of various kinds, which are generally taken on the ground: the stomach is muscular, and was frequently found to contain grains of small sand intermingled with its natural food.

The male in summer has the crown of the head, ear-coverts and a broad lunar-shaped mark on the upper part of the back metallic blue; lores, line over the eye, occiput, scapularies, back, rump, and upper tail-coverts velvety black; throat and chest bluish black, bounded below by a band of velvety black; tail dark blue, indistinctly barred with a darker hue and finely tipped with white; wings brown; under surface buffy white, tinged with blue on the flanks; irides blackish brown; bill black; feet brown.

The female has the lores and a circle surrounding the eye reddish brown; upper surface, wings and tail brown; under surface brownish white; bill reddish brown; feet fleshy brown.

The figures are of the natural size.

The beautiful Creeper introduced into the Plate is the _Billardiera longiflora_.

MALURUS MELANOTUS: _Gould_.

_J. & E. Gould del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

MALURUS MELANOTUS, _Gould_.
Black-backed Wren.

_Malurus melanotus_, Gould in Proceedings of Zool. Soc., November 10,
1840.

The only place in which I observed this extremely rare species was the Belts of the Murray in South Australia; but although it was there tolerably abundant, it was so extremely shy and distrustful, that the few specimens in my collection, and which in all probability are the only examples in Europe, were obtained with the greatest difficulty. It was most frequently observed on the ground, particularly in the small open glades and little plains by which the outer belt of this vast scrub is diversified. The period of my visit was in winter, consequently the specimens I collected were all out of colour, or more properly speaking, divested of the rich blue and black plumage of summer, in which state a single specimen has been forwarded to me by one of the party that accompanied His Excellency Colonel Gawler and Captain Sturt, when those gentlemen visited the Murray in 1839. It is a most interesting species, inasmuch as it possesses characters intermediate between the _M. cyaneus_ and _M. splendens_, having the blue belly and conspicuous pectoral band of the latter and the black back of the former; from both, however, it differs in the length of its toes, which are much shorter than those of its near allies: this difference in structure exerts a corresponding influence upon its habits and actions; for while the others run over the ground with great facility, the Black-backed Wren far exceeds them in this power; hence arose the great difficulty of procuring specimens. Instead of exerting any power of flight, they effected their escape by the extraordinary manner with which they tripped over the small openings and through the scrub, each troop appearing to have a leader, and keeping just beyond the range of the gun: this shyness was rather remarkable, since I and my party were probably the only white persons they had ever encountered; like the Chestnut-backed Ground Thrush, they would appear to have an instinctive dread of man.

The male in summer has the crown of the head, chin, throat, abdomen, upper part of the back, upper and under tail-coverts beautiful metallic blue; ear-coverts verditer-blue; lores, back of the neck, band across the breast and lower part of the back velvety black; external margins of all the wing-feathers green; tail bluish green, indistinctly barred with a darker tint, and slightly tipped with white; bill black; irides and legs blackish brown.

The female has the lores and circle surrounding the eye reddish brown; all the upper surface brown; under surface brownish white; wings brown; tail green, each feather slightly tipped with white; bill reddish brown; feet brown.

The male in winter has the bill black, like the _M. cyaneus_.

The figure is that of a male and female of the natural size.

MALURUS SPLENDENS.

_J. & E. Gould del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

MALURUS SPLENDENS.
Banded Wren.

_Saxicola splendens_, Quoy et Gaim., Voy. de l’Astrol., Zool., tom. i.
p. 197. pl. 10. fig. 1.

_Malurus pectoralis_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part I. p. 106.

_Djur-jeel-ya_ of the Aborigines of the lowland, and _Jeer-jal_ of the
Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western Australia.

This species may very justly be considered as more gorgeous and resplendent than any other of its race, its whole plumage sparkling with beautiful shining metallic lustres, beyond the power of our pencil to imitate in a drawing. At the time I gave a description of this little beauty in 1837, I was totally unaware that it had been previously published in France, and I am gratified that an opportunity is now afforded me to correct my error, and to figure it under the very appropriate specific title conferred upon it by Messrs. Quoy and Gaimard.

The _Malurus splendens_ is an inhabitant of the western coast of Australia; but over what extent of country it may range cannot be ascertained, until the further progress of geographical research in this portion of Australia enables us to solve the problem. It is, I believe, very generally distributed over the Swan River settlement, where I am informed it inhabits scrubby places and underwood, sallying forth over the more dry and open forest during the day, and choosing, as Mr. Gilbert thinks, swampy places to roost in; at least he observed it returning to such situations in great numbers in the evening just before dark; and he moreover states, that not more than two males, or rather birds in colour, were observed to five females, or birds in the brown plumage; for, like the other members of the genus, the gorgeous colouring is only seasonal.

Its song very nearly resembles that of the Van Diemen’s Land species, _M. longicaudus_. It breeds in September and the three following months: the nest is constructed of dried, soft grasses, and lined either with hair, wool or feathers, is of a dome-shape, the cover of the top resembling the peak of a cap, and is about six or eight inches in height: the eggs are generally four in number, of flesh-white, thickly blotched and freckled with reddish brown, especially at the larger end; eight and a quarter lines long by six and a quarter lines broad. The situation of the nest is much varied, being sometimes built among the hanging clusters of the stinkwood tree, at others among the upright reeds growing just above the water’s edge on the borders of lakes and the banks of rivers.

The stomach is muscular, and its food consists of insects of various kinds.

The male in its summer dress has the crown of the head, back, scapularies, and upper tail-coverts deep metallic blue; ear-coverts verditer-blue; throat and all the under surface deep shining violet-blue; lores, crescent-shaped mark across the chest and back of the neck deep velvet-black; external edges of the wing-feathers green; tail greenish blue, indistinctly barred with a darker tint; bill black; eyes and feet blackish brown.

The female has the bill, lores and circle round the eyes reddish brown; crown of the head and all the upper surface brown; the external margins of the wing-feathers slightly tinged with green; tail as in the male, but paler, and slightly tipped with white.

The Plate represents a male and female of the natural size.

MALURUS ELEGANS: _Gould_.

_J. & E. Gould del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

MALURUS ELEGANS, _Gould_.
Graceful Wren.

_Malurus elegans_, Gould, Birds of Australia, Part I. Aug. 1837.

_Djur-jeel-ya_, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western
Australia.

This is not only the largest species of the genus yet discovered, but may be considered as one of the most beautiful and elegant of its race: the delicate verditer-blue of the centre of the back, and the larger size and more spatulate form of its tail-feathers, at once distinguish it from _Malurus Lamberti_, the species to which it is most nearly allied. It is an inhabitant of the western coast of Australia; all the specimens I possess were collected at Swan River, where it is tolerably abundant. Mr. Gilbert states, that although in its economy it very closely resembles _M. splendens_, it nevertheless differs from that species in the nature of the localities it frequents, which are usually swampy situations, while _M. splendens_ is more generally spread over all parts of the country. It is also said to differ slightly in its song, in commencing with one distinct note and then singing precisely like the former.

The nest, which is neither characterized by neatness nor compactness, is dome-shaped, with a hole in the side for an entrance, and is generally formed of the thin paper-like bark of the Tea-tree (_Melaleuca_), and lined with feathers: it is also usually suspended to the foliage of this tree, and occasionally to that of other shrubs which grow in its favourite localities. The eggs are four in number, of a delicate flesh-white freckled with spots of reddish brown, which are much thicker at the larger end; they are about eight lines long and six lines broad. The breeding-season commences in September and continues during the three following months.

The food consists of insects.

The males are subject to the same law relative to the seasonal change of plumage as the _Malurus cyaneus_, and the other members of the group.

The male has the forehead, ear-coverts, sides of the face and occiput rich verditer-blue; centre of the back light verditer-blue; scapularies chestnut; throat, chest, back of the neck and rump deep velvety black, the throat in certain lights tinged with blue; wings brown; abdomen and under tail-coverts huffy white; tail dull bluish green, crossed by numerous indistinct bars, seen only in some positions, and very slightly tipped with white; bill black; eyes and feet blackish brown.

The female has all the upper surface and wings brown; throat and under surface buff-white; tail as in the male, but more dull, and devoid of the white at the extremity of the feathers; bill dull reddish brown, lighter beneath; space between the bill and eyes reddish brown; legs brown.

The figures are of the natural size, on the _Isopogon alternatus_.

MALURUS PULCHERRIMUS: _Gould_.

_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

MALURUS PULCHERRIMUS, _Gould_.
Beautiful Wren.

_Malurus pulcherrimus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XII. p.
106.

A more beautiful bird than the present species, which must be regarded as the representative in Western Australia of the _Malurus Lamberti_, can scarcely be imagined. It is moreover an evidence that this hitherto unexplored portion of the country is not less rich in interesting productions than are those parts which have been much longer known to us.

The _Malurus pulcherrimus_ is very nearly allied to the _M. Lamberti_, but is of a larger size, and also differs from that species in having the throat and breast of a rich deep blue instead of black.

For a knowledge of this species I am indebted to the researches of Mr. Gilbert, who informs me that “it appears to be exclusively confined to the thickets of the interior of Western Australia; in habits and manners it greatly resembles the other members of the genus, but its nest is somewhat smaller than that of either of them. A nest found on the 28th of October, in the vicinity of the Wongan Hills, was placed on the upper branches of a species of _Hakea_ about four feet from the ground; it contained two newly-laid eggs, which resembled those of the other species of the genus, but had the blotches very much larger.”

Crown of the head and a broad band across the centre of the back rich glossy violet-blue; space surrounding the eye and the ear-coverts verditer-blue; throat intense indigo-blue, bounded below by an indistinct band of black; lores, collar surrounding the back of the neck, and the lower part of the back, deep velvety black; scapularies chestnut; wings brown; tail dull greenish blue, indistinctly barred with a darker tint and slightly tipped with white; abdomen and under tail-coverts white; bill and feet black; irides dark brown.

The figures represent two males and a female of the natural size.

MALURUS LAMBERTI: _Vig. & Horsf._

_J. & E. Gould del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

MALURUS LAMBERTI, _Vig. & Horsf._
Lambert’s Wren.

_Malurus Lamberti_, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p.
221.—Jard. and Selb., Ill. Orn., vol. ii. pl. 72. fig.
2.—Gould, Syn. Birds of Australia, Part I.

_Superb Warbler_, White’s Journ., pl. in p. 256, low. fig.—Phillips,
Voy., pl. in p. 157, male.

_Variegated Warbler_, Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pl. xv.

Although far less common and much more local than _M. cyaneus_, this species ranges over a greater extent of country, being an inhabitant of most parts of New South Wales, the interior in the neighbourhood of the Namoi and the north-west coast, whence I received several specimens, forming part of an interesting collection kindly sent me by Mr. Dring. I found it tolerably abundant on the Namoi, where it was sometimes associated with its congener _M. cyaneus_.

In New South Wales the neighbourhood of Botany Bay is one of its most favourite resorts, and it is occasionally seen near Sydney, and even in the small gardens within the town. A beautiful specimen in the Museum of this place was killed on the lawn in front of that establishment, which is situated within the precincts of the town, and surrounded on all sides by houses. It does not inhabit Van Diemen’s Land, nor did I observe it in South Australia, or hear of its ever having been seen there, neither have I received it from the colony of Swan River.

Lambert’s Superb Warbler is a species with which we have been long acquainted, being figured in the early voyages to New South Wales as a variety of _Malurus cyaneus_; but the only species with which it at all assimilates in the disposition and colour of its markings is the _M. elegans_ of Western Australia, of which it forms a beautiful analogue on the eastern coast.

This is one of the few common birds of Australia of which I was not able to find the nest; but its changes of plumage, nidification, the number and colour of its eggs, are doubtless very similar to those of the other members of its family. Its food consists of insects of various kinds, which are sought for on the ground, over which it runs with great facility.

The male has the forehead, ear-coverts, sides of the head and occiput and centre of the back beautiful violet-blue; throat, breast, crescent across the upper part of the back and rump black; scapularies chestnut; wings brown; abdomen white, tinged with brown on the flanks; tail dull greenish blue, indistinctly barred with a darker tint, and lightly tipped with white; bill black; eyes and feet dark brown.

The female has the body dull brown; the throat and under surface much paler; tail-feathers as in the male, but less bright; bill and space round the eye reddish brown; feet brown.

The Plate represents a male and female of the natural size.

MALURUS LEUCOPTERUS: _Quoy & Gaim._

_J. & E. Gould del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

MALURUS LEUCOPTERUS, _Quoy & Gaim._?
White-winged Wren.

_Malurus leucopterus_, Quoy et Gaim. Zool. de l’Uranie, p. 108. pl.
23. fig. 2.?—Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 222.

_Amytis leucopterus_, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 454.

I regret that I have not been able to clear up the doubt which exists in my mind, whether the present beautiful bird is or is not distinct from the one figured by Messrs. Quoy and Gaimard in the “Voyage de l’Uranie,” since on applying at the Museum of the Jardin des Plantes, for the purpose of examining the original specimen, it could not be found: the figure above-quoted, if intended for the present bird, is by no means correct, and it is, moreover, said to be from Dirk Hatich’s Island, on the western coast, a locality very distant from those in which I found the bird here represented; a circumstance which strengthens my belief that they may be distinct: besides which, the bird I have figured is supposed to be exclusively an inhabitant of the interior; I never even observed it between the mountain ranges and the coast; it is therefore scarcely probable that it should inhabit an island like that of Dirk Hatich.

It was tolerably abundant in the patches of low scrub and grassy beds, here and there scattered over the plains which stretch out to the northward of the Liverpool range, and it was equally plentiful on the Lower Namoi: that it extends as far as South Australia, is proved by my having received its nest and eggs from that part of the continent.

It was usually seen either in pairs or in small troops, and evinced so much shyness of disposition as to render the acquisition of specimens a task of no little difficulty, particularly of the full-plumaged male, who appeared to be conscious that the display of his gorgeously-coloured dress might lead to his detection. Its powers of flight are not great, but this is fully compensated for by the extraordinary manner in which it threads the bushes, and passes over the surface of the ground in a series of hopping bounds, whereby it readily eludes pursuit. The most successful mode of obtaining it is to ascertain the precise spot in which it is located, to approach it cautiously, and to remain silent for a short time, when the male will soon show himself by hopping out from the bush; the restless nature of his disposition not admitting of his remaining long concealed.

The beautifully contrasted colours of blue and white, represented in our Plate, is a merely seasonal dress assumed in spring, and continued throughout the breeding-season, which commences in August and terminates in January; before and after this season male birds may be seen in every stage of colouring, from plain uniform brown to that of the perfect livery.

The nest is composed of grasses, rather large and dome-shaped, with a hole near the top for an entrance. The one sent me from South Australia contained two eggs, one of which was the Bronze Cuckoo’s, thus showing that this little bird is also the foster-parent of those birds. The number of eggs laid by the _Malurus leucopterus_ is in all probability four; the one I possess is flesh-white, finely freckled with reddish brown, forming a zone at the larger end, and is eight lines long by six lines broad.

The male has the whole of the head, body above and beneath, and the tail beautiful deep blue; scapularies, wing-coverts and tertiaries snow-white; primaries brown, with their external edges silvery green; bill black; feet brown; eyes dark brown.

The female has the crown of the head, and all the upper surface and flanks brown; throat and abdomen white, faintly washed with brown; external edges of the primaries and tail pale greenish blue; bill reddish brown.

The Plate represents the male and female of the natural size; the Plant is the _Brunonia Australis_.

MALURUS MELANOCEPHALUS: _Vig. & Horsf._

_J. & E. Gould del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

MALURUS MELANOCEPHALUS, _Vig. & Horsf._
Black-headed Wren.

_Scarlet-lacked Warbler_, Lewin, Birds of New Holl., pl. xiv.

_Malurus melanocephalus_, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p.
222.

_Malurus Brownii_, Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn., vol. ii. pl. 72. fig. 1.

In their “Illustrations of Ornithology,” Sir William Jardine and Mr. Selby have in a very laudable manner endeavoured to clear up what they considered some confusion respecting the present and the preceding species, _M. Brownii_. These gentlemen have, however, fallen into error in considering the two birds as identical, whereas they are, in fact, totally distinct.

I have never seen the Black-headed Wren from any other locality than New South Wales, and I am consequently led to believe that the south-eastern portion of Australia is its peculiar and limited habitat. It is a local species, not being generally diffused over the face of the country, like several other members of the group, but confined to grassy ravines and gullies, particularly those that lead down from the mountain ranges. I obtained several pairs of adult birds in very fine plumage in the valleys under the Liverpool range, all of which I discovered among the high grasses which there abound; but as the period of my visit was that of their breeding-season, I never observed more than a pair together, each pair being always stationed at some distance from the other, and in such parts of the gullies as were studded with small clumps of scrubby trees.

The Black-headed Wren has many actions in common with the _M. cyaneus_, and like that species carries its tail erect: it also frequently perches on a stem of the most prominent grasses, where it displays its richly-coloured back, and pours forth its simple song. I did not succeed in finding the nest, although I knew they were breeding around me: it was probably placed among the grasses, but was so artfully concealed that it completely baffled my efforts at finding it.

One might suppose the greater development of feather on the back of this species to have been given it as a defence against the damp and dense grasses of the ravines, among which it usually resides; but from the circumstance of the female not possessing this character of plumage, and the rich garb being only seasonal in the male, this supposition falls to the ground. In their winter dress the sexes very nearly resemble each other; but the males may always be distinguished by the black colouring of the bill and tail-feathers. The young male of the year has the tail-feathers brown, like the females, and it is a curious fact, that at this age these feathers are much longer than in the adult.

The flight of this species is feeble and not protracted; but, on the contrary, its powers of running and creeping are very considerable.

The breeding-season probably commences in September and continues until January; its food is insects of various kinds.

The male has the head, all the under surface, wing-coverts, upper tail-coverts and tail deep velvety black; back of the neck, scapularies and remainder of the upper surface rich orange-scarlet; bill black; eyes blackish brown; feet fleshy brown.

Female brown above, paler beneath; bill brown; base of the under mandible reddish brown; feet flesh-brown.

The Plate represents male and female in the summer plumage, and a young male in change, on one of the native grasses of New South Wales.

MALURUS BROWNII: _Vig. & Horsf._

_J. & E. Gould del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

MALURUS BROWNII, _Vig. & Horsf._
Brown’s Wren.

_Malurus Brownii_, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 223.

_Malurus cruentatus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VII. p. 143.

Among the species of which I sent home characters from New South Wales, for publication in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, was the present pretty bird, to which I gave the specific name of _cruentatus_; upon comparison, however, of my specimens with the _Malurus Brownii_ in the Linnean Society’s Collection, I find they are identical, consequently my name must sink into a synonym. Mr. Brown, who was the donor of the Linnean Society’s specimen, obtained his bird near Broad Sound, on the eastern coast; while those from which my description was taken were procured on the north-west, and formed part of the collection placed at my disposal by the officers of the Beagle. It differs from _Malurus melanocephalus_ in the more intense and deep blood-red of the back, and, as Messrs. Vigors and Horsfield justly observe, it is much less in size.

Of its habits and economy, or the situations to which it gives preference, no information has yet been obtained; but we may reasonably suppose, that two species so nearly resembling each other in structure and colour as _M. Brownii_ and _M. melanocephalus_ do not greatly differ in their habits.

I have lately received an account of its being common at Port Essington; and, as I have above stated, it is an inhabitant of the eastern and north-western coasts; we may consequently conclude that its range extends over the whole of the northern parts of the Australian continent.

The male in summer has the head, neck, wings, all the under surface and tail black; primaries and secondaries brown; back and shoulders fine crimson; bill black; legs fleshy brown.

The female is uniform light brown, the abdomen inclining to white; bill and feet light brown.

The Plate represents a male and female, on the _Bæckia linifolia_.

AMYTIS TEXTILIS: _Lefs:_

_J. & E. Gould del^t._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

AMYTIS TEXTILIS.
Textile Wren.

_Malurus textilis_, Quoy et Gaim. Zool de l’Uranie, p. 107. pl. 23.
fig. 1.

The birds figured in this and the following Plate differ from each other considerably in plumage, as well as in the structure of the bill, that organ in the present bird being shorter and more robust than in _Amytis striatus_.

Of the Textile Wren I killed and dissected many examples, but of the following I only procured a single specimen, and never met with it but in this one instance. I have considered it necessary to state this, as it would have been more satisfactory to me to have had further proofs from actual dissection and comparison, of their being really distinct, although I have little doubt that such is the case. The bird figured in the “Voyage de l’Uranie,” is doubtless referable to the one represented on the opposite Plate, while that figured by M. Lesson in the Atlas to his “Traité d’Ornithologie,” and which seems to have been the subject from which he took his generic characters and description, as clearly belongs to _A. striatus_.

The only place in which I observed the Textile Wren was the plains bordering the Lower Namoi; and that its range extends far to the northward and westward is certain, from the fact of the specimen figured in the “Voyage” above-quoted having been procured on the north-west coast.