INSESSORES. 201 



tip; throat, centre of the abdomen, and under tail-coverts 

 white, passing into pale brown on the sides of the chest and 

 flanks ; irides reddish brown ; bill and feet blackish brown. 

 Total length 4f inches ; bill ye ; wings 3f ; tail 2i ; tarsi -^q. 



Sp. 151. MICRCECA FLAYIGAST'E.R,. Gould, 



Yellow-bellied Tlycatcher. 

 Microeca flavig aster, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, pait x. p. 132. 



Microeca flavigaster, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pi. 94. 



This httle Flycatcher is met with in the neighbourhood of 

 Port Essington in every variety of situation, and is particularly 

 abundant on all the islands in Van Diemen's Gulf. " It gives 

 utterance," says Gilbert, " to many different notes, pouring 

 forth at the dawn of day a strain much resembling that of 

 some of the PetroiccB, and like them remaining stationary for 

 a long time while singing its agreeable melody. In the 

 middle of the day, when the sun is nearly vertical, it leaves 

 the trees and soars upward in circles, like the Skylark, until 

 it arrives at so great a height as to be scarcely perceptible ; 

 it then descends perpendicularly until it nearly reaches the 

 trees, when it closes its wings and apparently falls upon 

 the branch* on which it alights. During the whole of this 

 movement it pours forth a song, some parts of which are 

 very soft and melodious, but quite diff'erent from that of 

 the morning; in the evening the song is again varied, and 

 then so much resembles the unconnected notes of the 

 Gerijgoncs, that I have frequently been misled by it. The 

 Micrmca Jlavif/aster is a very familiar species, inhabiting the 

 trees and bushes close around the houses, and is little 

 alarmed or disturbed at the approach of man. At times it is 

 extremely pugnacious ; I have seen a pair attack a Crow and 

 beat it until it was obliged to seek safety by flight, all the 

 while calling out most lustily. Notwithstanding it is so 

 abundant everywhere, and it nuist have been breeding during 



