52 MUSCICAPIDJE. 



Genus RHIPIDURA, Vigors & Horsf., 1826. 



The genus Rhipidura is a very extensive one, and contains four 

 Indian Flycatchers. In these birds the bill is large, about twice 

 as long as broad, and the rictal bristles are very numerous and 

 long. The tail is very ample and rounded. The sexes are alike 

 or nearly so. 



These Flycatchers are abundant everywhere and are resident. 

 They are very lively, constantly on the move, and frequently seen 

 with outspread tail dancing from branch to branch. They make 

 small and very beautiful nests covered with cobwebs. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Forehead and sides of the crown broadly 



white , R. dlbifrontata, p. 52. 



b. Forehead black; a small white supercilhim. 



a'. Abdomen black R. albicollis, p. 53. 



b'. Abdomen wbite or whitish. 



a". Outer tail-feathers distinctly and 



abruptly tipped white R. javanica, p. 54. 



b" '. Outer tail-feathers merely paler towards 



the tips R. pectoralis, p. 55. 



604. Rhipidura albifrontata. The White-browed Fantail 

 Flycatcher. 



Rhipidura albofrontata, Frank!, P. Z. 8. 1831, p. 116 ; Horsf. $ M. 



Cat. i, p. 145; Anders. Yunnan Eeped., Aves, p. 655; Sharpe, 



Cat. B. M. iv, p. 338; Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 412; Gates, B. B. i, 



p. 208 ; id. in Hume's N. §• E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 31. 

 Rhipidura aureola, Less. Traite, p. 390 (1831). 

 Leucocerca albofrontata (Frank!.), Bhjth, Cat. p. 200; Jerd. B. I. i, 



p. 452 ; Hume, N. £ E. p. 201. 

 Leucocerca aureola (Less.), Hume, S. F. i, p. 430, iii, p. 104 ; id. 



Cat. no. 292; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 100. 

 Leucocerca burmanica, Hume, S. F. ix, p. 175, footnote (1880). 



The White-broived Fantail, Jerd. ; Macharya, Hind, in the South ; 

 Manati, Mai. ; Dasari-pitta, Tel. 



Coloration. Male. Crown, lores, ear-coverts, and the feathers 

 round the eye black ; forehead and a very broad supercilium to 

 the nape wbite ; upper plumage and wings ashy brown, the wing- 

 coverts tipped with white ; tail brown, all but the median pair of 

 feathers tipped white, progressively more and more so to the 

 outermost feather, which is almost entirely white ; cheeks, chin, 

 and throat black, each feather broadly terminated with white, 

 except, on the lower throat, where the white is reduced to narrow 

 margins ; sides of the breast black ; remainder of lower plumage 

 white. 



Female. Very similar to the male, but browner above. 



