93 



OCCUEEENCE OF CHIBEA BBACTEATA (GOULD) 

 IN TASMANIA. 



By Col. W. V. Legge, E.A., F.Z.S. 



I have niucli pleasure in bringing to the notice of the 

 Fellows of the Society this evening the occurrence of the 

 Australian Drongo in Tasmania, and exhibiting a specimen of 

 this bird, which was shot on the 1st of May, at Falmouth, by 

 Master Steele. 



Of all the occasional visitants to Tasmania, which have 

 from time to time been recorded, the present is, pei'haps, 

 one of the most interesting, as on reference to Mr.Eamsay 's distri- 

 bution list it does not aj^pear to ha.ve been hitherto noticed 

 farther south than New South Wales, on the mainland, and 

 its occurrence, therefore, in the more southern locality of 

 Tasmania, is all the more remarkable. Its having been met with 

 on the East Coast, tolerably far North, is a proof that the Bass 

 Straits Islands form a halting or resting place for any birds 

 that may under pressure of strong northerly winds, wander 

 beyond their usual habitat in this direction, and taking a 

 further flight southwards arrive on the shores of Tasmania, 

 about the locality where this bird was killed. It is note- 

 worthy that once before an occasional visitant to this island 

 was first recorded from the same place. I speak of the 

 Leaden Flycatcher, Myiagra ruhechda, obtained by myself 

 when on a visit to this island in 1868. 



The Drongo now before us was killed on the skirts of the 

 bush, a short distance from the sea. It was there, probably, 

 frequenting the dead or overspreading branches of trees, and 

 following its flycatching habits, when it was espied and fell 

 a victim to the youthful sportsman. It is not a bird of long 

 flight, merely launching itself about from tree to tree in 

 pursuit of flies and beetles, with an occasional stretch, when 

 it compasses longer distances, with the object of changing its 

 position in quest of food. 



A few remarks on the interesting family to which this bird 

 belongs may not be out of place here. 



The Dicrtiridce — Drongos or Drongo-shrikes — is a family 

 numbering 10 recognised genera containing about 40 species 

 (if sub-species or varieties be counted), and which has an 

 African, Asian, and Austro-Malayau distribution, extending 

 laterally from Western Africa to New Britain, and vertically 

 from Japan to South Africa and New South Wales. The 

 occurrence, therefore, of the present species in Tasmania 

 extends the southerly range of the family to the farthest point 

 yet reached. 



