Collected in the Philippine Islands. 105 



tlie eastern sky, our little Muscicapula used to sing his pretty 

 song, and with that song we commenced our daily work. 

 Things went well with our little birds (as I would not 

 allow them to be molested), until one day another male 

 Muscicapula turned up. This quite upset my friend, and he 

 fought many a battle under the shady pine-trees; but his 

 rival stayed on just the same. The hen Flycatcher seemed 

 rather to enjoy the fun and flirted about with the new-comer, 

 and when we struck camp and retired from Monte Data the 

 dispute was far from being arranged ; both the cocks were 

 sparring on and off all day, swelling out their little bodies 

 until they resembled miniature puff-balls, and no doubt hating 

 each other as only rivals can. 



59. Muscicapula sAMARENsisB. &W. (Grant, Ibis, 1897, 

 p. 226.) 



Obtained by us both in Samar and Leite. This species is 

 both scarce and difficult to obtain, as it frequents thick dark 

 forests, spending its time in the tangled undergrowth, and it 

 is therefore seldom seen. The female has a somewhat re- 

 markable departure in coloration from the rest of the genus, 

 bearing only a slight resemblance to the male in the under- 

 parts, while the rusty-brown plumage o£ the back and the 

 absence of the superciliary stripes would lead one to put it 

 even in a different genus. 



Iris and bill black ; feet bluish white. 



60. Muscicapula luzoniensis. (Grant, Ibis, 1894, p. 505 ; 

 1895, p. 463.) 



We found this Flycatcher rare in Benguet, but commoner 

 at the higher altitudes in Lepanto. This species is the repre- 

 sentative form of M. hyperythra of Borneo, but the birds 

 differ much in habits. On Kina Balu this little Flycatcher 

 is always to be seen sitting about in open places, hawking. 

 It flies from some bare branch and returns to its perch after 

 each short flight, and there would be no difficulty in securing 

 specimens. In Luzon and Mindoro, however, Muscicapula 

 frequented the thick tangled undergrowth near the ground, 

 and was most difiicult to obtain. This species becomes 

 much more active towards sunset^ when it often utters a 



