PIED FLYCATCHER. 525 



little convex towards the end, the ridge narrow, the sides slop- 

 ing at the base, convex toward the end, the tip slightly de- 

 curved, the notch reduced to a slight sinus ; the lower man- 

 dible with the angle of moderate length and rather wide, the 

 dorsal outline ascending and rather convex, the tip narrow. 

 The nostrils are elliptical, in the fore part of the rather large 

 nasal membrane, which is feathered at the base. The feet are 

 very small and slender ; the tarsus short, compressed, anteri- 

 orly with a long plate and two scutella, acute behind ; the toes 

 very small ; the hind toe rather stouter than the third, and 

 with its claw longer than the second and fourth ; the claws 

 rather long, extremely compressed, arched, acute. 



Plumage very soft and blended, the feathers ovate. There 

 is a row of longf stiffish bristle-feathers on each side at the base 

 of the upper mandible, and several smaller ones on the nasal 

 membrane. Wing of moderate length, broad, semiovate, with 

 eighteen quills ; the first about a third of the length of the 

 second, which is shorter than the third, and equal to the fifth, 

 the third longest. The tail of moderate lengthy straight, emar- 

 ginate, and laterally rounded. 



The bill, feet, and claws are black ; the iris hazel. The 

 upper parts, including the sides of the head, are greyish-black, 

 the rump tinged with brownish-grey ; a patch on the forehead 

 white ; the quills brownish-black ; the secondary coverts and 

 inner secondary quills broadly margined with white, that colour 

 including the whole of the three inner excepting the tips ; the 

 bases of all the quills except the outer three white ; the tail- 

 feathers brownish-black ; the outer two feathers on each side 

 with the outer web and part of the inner white, the next with 

 a small part of the outer web of the same colour ; the whole 

 under surface, including the throat, white. 



Length to end of tail 5 j inches ; extent of wings 8 ; wing 

 from flexure S^^ ; tail 2/g ; bill along the ridge ~^^, along the 

 edge of lower mandible i% ; tarsus j% ; first toe y ^, its claw /g ; 

 second toe ^^|, its claw f | ; third toe ^^l, its claw ^% ; fourth 

 toe Y^|, its claw j|. 



Female. — The female is scarcely smaller, and difters in want- 



