516 Messrs. E. L. & E. L. C. Layard on the 



it to attack every rival, no sooner does it liear its call re- 

 peatedj than it flies towards the sound, uttering notes of 

 defiance, and easily falls a prey to the gunner. Not so his 

 more soberly dressed partner ; she rarely puts in an appear- 

 ance, and a dozen or two males may be shot before one 

 female is procured. 



It feeds on insects, capturing them at rest on the foliage 

 and branches (we have never seen it take any thing on the 

 wing), and will also pick up small shells (Bulimi and He- 

 lices) which frequent similar situations. Bill black ; legs 

 and feet livid grey ; iris drab. 



34. Pachycephala xanthetr^a (Forster). 



Pachycephala assimilis, Verr. & Des Murs. 



Here, again, the French naturalists have overlooked the 

 labours of the old English author, as we ourselves did for 

 some time, misled by the faulty colouring of the plate in 

 Brenehley's ' Cruise of the Cura9oa '; we have, however, 

 had the pleasure of restoring to the species the original 

 name bestowed by its first discoverer (Ibis, 1880, pp. 460, 

 461). 



The "Blue-backed^^ Bush-Shrike in habits much resem- 

 bles the previous species, but it is not so noisy or pugna- 

 cious. It also often captures its prey on the wing, returning 

 again and again to the same post of observation, like the 

 European Flycatcher. It is found in similar bush-covered 

 localities, and is generally distributed over the island. Length 

 5" 9'", tail 3" 6'", wing 3" 2'". Bill horn-colour, the base of 

 the loAver mandible pinkish ; legs and feet livid blue-grey. 

 Iris red-brown. It breeds about August to November, and 

 even later ; and the young male for the first year resembles the 

 female, and does not assume the white throat and clear colours 

 of the adult male till the breeding-season comes round. 



We have received eggs from a lady friend which, from 

 knowing those of some of the Australian Fachycephalce, we 

 must assign to one of these two Bush- Shrikes. They resem- 

 ble in ground-colour the eggs of Pachycephala rufiventris of 

 Australia (for specimens of which we are indebted to Mr. 



