INSESSORES. 257 



and at Port Essington by Gilbert. It is in every respect a 

 true Mjjiagra, and is rendered remarkably conspicuous by the 

 great breadth or lateral dilatation of the bill. As no notes 

 accompanied the specimens, I am unable to give any par- 

 ticulars as to its habits and economy ; in all probability they 

 are very similar to those of the other members of the genus. 



All the upper surface, wings, and tail dark bluish grey, 

 with a shining greenish lustre on the head and back of the 

 neck; throat and chest sandy buff; under sm'face white; bill 

 black ; irides blackish brown ; feet black. 



Total length G inches ; bill f ; wing 2f ; tail 2f ; tarsi f . 



Genus MACH^RIRHYNCHUS, Gould. 



This is a very singular and distinct form among the smaller 

 Flycatchers. The bill is laterally developed to a greater 

 extent than in any other bird of its size. At least two species 

 are known, one of which inhabits Australia, the other, M. 

 xanthogenys^ the Aru Islands. 



Sp. 148. MACHJERIRHYNCHUS FLAVIVENTER, Gould. 



Yellow-breasted Elycatcher. 



Macharii'hijnchus flaviventer, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xviii. 

 p. 277, Aves, pi. xxxiii. 



Machserirhynchus flaviventer, Gould, Birds of Australia, Supple- 

 ment, pi. 



Mr. Macgillivray informed me that a single specimen of 

 this Elycatcher was shot at Cape York by Mr. James Wilcox, 

 who observed it on the skirts of one of the dense brushes or 

 jungles, making short flights in the au', snapping at passing 

 flies, and returning again to the same tree, the Wormia alata 

 of botanists, distinguished by its red papery bark, large glossy 

 leaves and handsome yellow flowers, which attract numbers of 



s 



