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MALURUS MELANOTUS, Gould.
Black-backed Wren.
Malurus melanotus, Gould in Proceedings of Zool. Soc., November 10, 1840.
T he 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 o f this vast scrub is diversified. The period o f 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 o f 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
o f 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-hacked 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 hack, upper
and under tail-coverts beautiful metallic blue; ear-coverts verditer-blue; lores, hack of the neck, band
across the breast and lower part of the back velvety black; external margins of all the wing-feathers g reen;
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.