INSESSORES. 531 



interior of New South Wales, where it frequents the myalls 

 {Acacia 2^^ndida) and other trees bordering the extensive 

 plains of that part of Australia. On a comparison of skins of 

 this species with those of the other Melij)ha(/id(E, prior to my 

 visit to the country, I had been led to suspect that its actions 

 and economy would be found to diflfer materially from those 

 of the other members of its family, and such proved to be the 

 case, for it is much more active among the branches, captures 

 insects on the wing, and darts forth and returns to the same 

 spot much after the manner of the Flycatchers. Its song is 

 a loud but not very harmonious strain, which is frequently 

 uttered when on the wing. During flight it repeatedly spreads 

 its tail, when the white portion of the feathers shows very 

 conspicuously ; the yellow colouring of the wing also con- 

 tributes to the beauty of its appearance. 



I found the nest of this bird with two nearly fledged 

 young on the 5 th of September ; the nest was the frailest 

 structure possible, most ingeniously suspended by the rim to 

 the twigs and thick drooping leaves of the Acacia pendula, 

 and entirely composed of very fine fibrous roots. 



Head, cheeks, and all the upper surface black, the posterior 

 edges of the ear-coverts tipped with white ; wings black, the 

 outer edges of the primaries and secondaries rich yellow at 

 their base, forming a conspicuous broad mark on the wing ; 

 tail black, margined externally with rich yellow, each feather 

 except the two centre ones more or less largely tipped on the 

 internal web with white ; throat and all the under surface 

 white, the flanks having a few longitudinal faint spots of 

 brown ; biU soft and pulpy, and of a deep pink red ; irides 

 hazel ; eyelash darker hazel ; feet purplish lead-colour. 



Total length 5^ inches ; bill f ; wing 3f ; tail 2f ; tarsi f . 



The female is much less brilliant than the male, but does 

 not differ in the distribution of the markings. 



Total length 5^ inches ; bill f ; wing 3f ; tail 2f ; tarsi f . 



■1 M 2 



