APPENDIX 1075 



that the males occasionally breed before their full and beautiful livery 

 is donned. I handled one of these partly-plumaged males which Mr. 

 Jackson obtained. The upper surface is similar to the female's, with 

 one or two black feathers appearing about the back of the neck and 

 some of the brownish primaries becoming dusky-coloiu-ed. On the 

 under surface the an-ow-shapcd markings on the feathers are generally 

 darker and slightly mottled in parts ; the chest has a few sliining 

 shields and patches of sooty black ; the thighs also arc sooty, and on 

 the abdomen is a patch of feathers margined with rich olive green. 



Before leaving the interesting subject of Rifle-birds I should state 

 I have omitted the Magnificent fP. maf/nifica ) from the Australian list 

 because I deem it is the New Guinea variety of P. alherfi. The former 

 bird may be distinguished (1) by its slightly larger size. (2) by the 

 crescent of shining yellowish-gi-een on the breast below, the velvety- 

 black band being broader, and (3) by the shining metallic green on the 

 head and throat being more " peacock " gi'een in tone. The female of 

 7i)ngnifira is the brighter brown of the two varieties. For these reasons 

 I believe the skins and eggs exhibited at the May (1900) meeting of 

 the Field Natiualists' Club of Victoria by Messrs. G. A. Keartland and 

 A. Coles as P. mnr/nifica, from Cape York, should be referable 

 to P. alherfi. 



83. MlCRrECA ASSIMILIS. 



LESSER BROWN FLYCATCHER. 



Gilbert probably procured the first Lesser Brown Flycatcher nearly 

 sixty years ago. Its nest and eggs remained undescribed until 

 Mr. Dudley Le Souef visited the gi-eat western territory this (1899) 

 season. Writing to the " Ibis," he says : " I noticed this bird on two 

 occasions near York (Western Australia). Its small, compact nest was 

 found near Katanning during the latter end of October, was situated in a 

 fork near the end of a horizontal branch, and measured li inches in 

 diameter by i inch in depth. It was composed of grass, and the 

 exterior had small pieces of bark fastened on to it with cobwebs, which 

 made it difficult to distinguish the nest from the branch bearing it. 

 Tliere were two eggs in the nest, their gromid coloiir being pale blui-sh- 

 green, with iiTegular, dark, reddish-bro\vn markings, slightly more 

 numerous on the larger end, and with underlying markings of pale gi'ey. 

 Dimensions in inches : (1) -67 x '54, (2) -66 x -.52." 



85. MiCRCECA PALLIDA. 



PALE FLY CATCHER. 



The Pale Flycatcher, as its name implies, is a paler coloured bird than 

 its southern and near ally, from which it may be further distinguished 

 bv the greater amount of white in the tail feathers. 



