254 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Sp. 145. MYIAGRA CONCINNA, Gould. 

 Pretty Flycatcher. 



Myiagra concinna, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. ii. pi. 90. 



This species is a native of tlie north-western portion of 

 Australia, where it inhabits the dense mangroves and thickets 

 adjacent to swamps. It is very shy and retiring in its 

 disposition, but may occasionally be seen on the topmost 

 branches of the highest trees of the forest. Like the other 

 Flycatchers, it has the habit of sitting for a long time on a 

 branch, watching the various insects as they pass, now and 

 then darting forth and capturing one on the wing, and then 

 returning again to the branch from which it had flown. 



When among the low mangroves it utters a rather agreeable 

 twittering song ; but on high trees it emits a loud and shrill 

 whistle, drawn out at times to a considerable length. 



The stomach is muscular, and the food consists of insects 

 of various kinds and their larvae. 



Like the other members of the genus, the sexes differ 

 considerably in colour ; they may be thus described : — 



The male has the whole of the upper surface, wings, tail, 

 and breast lead-colour, glossed with green on the head, neck, 

 and breast, and becoming gradually paler towards the ex- 

 tremity of the body and on the wings and tail; primaries 

 slaty black ; secondaries faintly margined with white ; under 

 surface of the wing, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white ; 

 bill leaden blue, except at the extreme tip, which is black ; 

 irides brown ; feet blackish grey. 



The female has the head and back lead-colour, without the 

 greenish gloss ; wings and tail brown, fringed with bluish 

 grey, particularly the secondaries ; throat and breast rich 

 rusty red; abdomen and under tail-coverts white, which 

 colour does not gradually blend with the rusty red of the 

 breast as in the female of Myiagra plwmhea \ upper mandible 



