_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.
[Illustration:
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_.
[Illustration:
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.
[Illustration: