MALURUS LAMBERTI, Vig. & Horsf.

Mae. Head, ear-coverts, and a streak upon the sides of the neck deep verditer blue, the centre of the crown
being browner than the other parts; throat, chest, collar round the nape of the neck, and the rump jet black,
the feathers being dense and velvety; a narrow line of rich blue borders the black collar at the nape and
extends down the sides of the chest to the flanks; centre of the back rich blue; scapularies rich chestnut ;
wings brown; tail bluish-green tinged with brown, and each feather tipped with white; centre of the
abdomen white ; flanks and under tail-coverts light brown; bill black; feet light yellow.

Femaue. Space between the bill and the eye brown; crown of the head, back of the neck, and sides of the chest
greyish brown; shoulders and back chestnut brown; throat and centre of the abdomen greyish white, passing
into brown on the flanks; wings brown; tail brown tinged with green; bill blackish brown; tarsi light
brown.

Total length 51 inches; bill, +; wing, 12; tail, 31; tarsi, 2.

Syn. Malurus Lamberti, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 221. Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn., vol. ii.,
Pl. LXXII. fig. 2. Gould, Syn. of Birds of Australia.
Variegated Warbler, Lewin, Birds of New Holland, Pl. XV.
Superb Warbler, Phillips’s Voyage to New South Wales, Pl. in p. 157. Lath. Gen. Hist. vol. vii. p. 117.

 

Tuts beautiful species of Malurus is abundantly dispersed over that portion of Australia denominated New
South Wales, where, according to Lewin, it ‘inhabits thick bushy woods ; frequents the low bushes, creeping
close to the ground in search of food. This bird always goes in flocks, among which it is remarkable that
only one male is to be seen in full plumage, and they arrive not in that state till the third year. The male is
cheerful, active, always singing on the little elevated bushes it meets with on the way; it does not migrate.”

We regret exceedingly that we are unable to add anything to the above meagre account; but the circum-
stance of so few birds being seen in the adult livery is easily accounted for by the long period of three years
being required to elapse before the bird is said to obtain its mature plumage.

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