124 



WHITE-SHAFTED FANTAti* 



Rhipidura fiaLdlifera, HoRS. & VIGORS. 

 PLATE X. 



Above, sooty brown, beneath fulvous ; chin, eye-stripe, and 

 tips of the wing-covers, whitish ; tail black, the lateral 

 feathers with the shafts white. 



Rhipidura flabellifera, Horsfield & Vigors. Linn. Tr. xv. 

 p. 247. 



THIS is the best known, and seems to be the most 

 common species of Fantail hitherto received from 

 Australia ; for there can be no doubt that several 

 others are included by Dr. Latham under the gene- 

 ral name of Fantailed Flycatcher. According to Mr. 

 Caley, a naturalist long resident in New South 

 Wales, its manners are very peculiar. " It fre- 

 quents small trees and bushes, from whence it sud- 

 denly darts on its prey, spreading out its tail like a 

 fan, and to appearance turning over like a tumbler 

 pigeon ; it then immediately returns to the same 

 twig or bough from whence it sprang. These ac- 

 tions it continues constantly to repeat. The skin 

 is so very tender, that it is difficult, after having 

 taken it off the body, to restore it again to its pro- 

 per shape. The species is very common about Pa- 

 ramatta, and I do not recollect having missed it at 



