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. [Illustration: 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.