' 45. RHiriDTTRA. 'iOS 



45. RHIPIDURA*. ,j,^^ 



Rhipidura, Ff^fors 4- Horsf. Tr.Linu. S<>c. xv. p. 247(1825) R. albiscapa. 



Leucocirca, Swains. Moim/r. Fli/c. p. 126 (1837) R. tricolor. 



Sauloprocta, Cahanis, 3lus. Hein. Th. i. p. 57 (1850) .... R. tricolor. 



RaiKje. From India and Ceylon, through the Burmese countries 

 to the Malayan peninsula, extending over the whole of the Malayan 

 archipelago, Australia, and Oceania. 



Ohs. Under this generic name several apparent subgenera are in- 

 cluded, as they appear to have no certain characters by which they 

 could be easily told. Between such species as R. tricolor and R.fuU- 

 qinosa there is, at first sight, a great difiference in the head, the fonner 

 having a stout biU with comparatively few rictal bristles, while the 

 latter has a weak bill with numerous rictal bristles surpassing the 

 bill in length. But between these two forms every possible grada- 

 tion is found as regards the number of rictal bristles and strength of 

 bill. I have therefore kept the species of Rhipidnra in one geiius 

 containing sections not deemed worthy even of subgeneric separation. 



Key to the Sjieci^s\. 



a. Three or more outer tail-feathers with en- 

 tirely wbite or creamy white shafts. 

 a'. Centre tail-feathers with white shafts 

 like the others. 

 a". Inner web of tail-feathers enth-ely whi- 

 tish, the outer one dark brown .... JlabelUfera, p. 308. 

 b". Iimer web of tail-feathers dark brown 

 hke the outer, but edged with white 

 on the inner margin of the feathers ; 

 entire iuner web never entirely white huhjeri, p. 309. 

 //. Two centre tail-feathers with brown 

 shafts, the rest with white ones, 

 c". Under surface ochraceous buff, the 

 breast miiform ; throat white, with a 

 black or grey patch on lower portion. 



a"'. Throat-mark black ].saturata, p. 311. 



* The following bird has been placed in the genus Ehipidura : — 



MUSCICAPA OCIIRACEA. 



Museicapa ochracea, Sparrm. Mm. Carlss. i. pi. 22; Sundev. Grit, om 



Sparrm. p. 6. 

 Campepbaga ochracea, Vieill. N. Diet. x. p. 50. 



Ehipidura ochracea, Graj/, Gen. B. i. p. 2.58 ; id. Ha>id-l. B. i. p. 332, 



no. 4990. 



A species said to have been found at the Cape of Good Hope, but certainly 



not a Muscicapine bird. Prof. Simdevall thiuks that it may be mtended for a 



young Promerops caffcr of which the bill has been broken. It looks something 



'like a bad figure of a Crateropus. 



t The forms included in tliis genus are so varied that it has been found very 

 ditllcult to construct a diagnostic table which should represent tliem in their 

 natural order. The present arrangement in the key is somewhat artificial, and 

 is written witli a view to the easy decijihering of the species. 



