•512 Messrs. E. L. & E. L. C. Layard on the 



The male has the chest and sides of a darker cinnamon- 

 colour than the female, and some specimens have a band of 

 the same colour across the breast. The native name in the 

 Bourail dialect is '^ Tchyunai/' probably taken from the cry. 



26. Myiagra viridinitens^ G. R. Gray. 



27. Myiagra caledonica, Bp. 



In habits and distribution these two broad-billed Fly- 

 catchers are identical, the first being rather the commoner 

 species of the two, though neither of them are plentiful any- 

 where. They usually hunt in pairs, male and female together, 

 and inhabit the scrub equally with the forest. Their prey 

 consists of small insects of all kinds, which they catch on 

 the wing or at rest on the leaves and branches. They have 

 a curious habit of quivering the tail, chiefly when in close 

 company, and we have sometimes thought that it was a 

 sexual emotion. They breed about Christmas-time (at least so 

 we judge from dissection) ; but as yet the nest is unknown to us. 

 The soft parts in both are coloured alike. Bill dark silver- 

 grey (bluish) ; legs and feet still darker ; soles of the feet 

 pale grey ; iris dark brown. Length 6", wing 2" 9'", tail 

 2" 9"', tarse 9"'. The measurements of M. caledonica that 

 we have recorded are a trifle smaller. 



28. Rhipidura verreauxi, Marie. 



This beautiful little Fantail is one of the commonest of our 

 birds as Avell as the tamest. Found equally in the scrub or 

 deep forest, the moment its domain is intruded on it fear- 

 lessly flies towards the stranger to investigate him more 

 closely. Scolding the intruder with a chattering note, it 

 hops or flies within a few feet of him, drooping its wings, 

 elevating and expanding the long rounded tail and waving it 

 to and fro. Even at such times, however, the main chance 

 is never forgotten. An insect is espied on tiie underside of 

 a leaf, it is secured with a quick upward spring ; another 

 passes across the open glade, out darts an active little friend, 

 and Ave stand amazed at the quick turns, twists, sumoier- 

 saults, and evolutions it performs, till at last, the prey being 

 captured, it returns to within a foot or two of one's nose to 



