34 NATURAL HISTOET. 



gnats and other insects. During the breeding season, however, it exhibits extreme anxiety at the 

 sight of an intruder in the vicinity of its nest." Of the Black Fantail, or Wagtail Flycatcher of the 

 colonists, the same author writes : " With the exception of Tasmania, this bird has been found in 

 every part of South Australia yet visited by Europeans. At the same time that it is one of the most 

 widely diffused, it is also one of the most tame and familiar of the Australian birds, and consequently 

 a general favourite. It is constantly about the houses, gardens, and stock-yards of the settlers, often 

 running along the banks and close to the noses of the cattle, in order to secure the insects which are 

 roused and attracted by the heat from their nostrils, along the roofs of the buildings, the tops of 

 palings, gates, &c., constructing its pretty nest beneath the verandah, and even entering the rooms to 

 capture its insect prey. It passes much of its time on the ground, over which it runs and darts with 

 the utmost celerity ; and when skirting the stream, with tail erect and shaking from side to side, it 

 pi'esents an appearance very similar to that of the Pied Wagtails. The movements of the tails of the 

 two birds, however, are very different, that of the European being pei-pendicular, while that of the 

 Australian is a kind of lateral swing. Its song, which consists of a few loud and shrill notes, is con- 

 tinually poured forth throughout the entire night, especially if it be moonlight. Its flight is at times 

 gracefully undulating, at others it consists of a series of sudden zigzag starts, but is always of very 

 short duration. It never poises itself in the air, like the Sisura inquieta, and never mounts higher 

 than the tops of the trees." 



THE PARADISE FLYCATCHERS (Terpsiphone). 



Like the Fantails, these Flycatchers have a very flat bill, which is bowed outwards, and 

 then curves in towards the tip ; and in. these two genera and a few allied ones are witnessed the 

 most exaggerated forms of a Flycatcher's bill. The Paradise Flycatchers have beautiful long tails, 

 and the plumage in the adult males is generally pure white, while that of the females is chestnut. 

 It takes some considerable time before the full white plumage is attained, and thus specimens in 

 half plumage are extremely common in collections, as the males commence their life with a red 

 plumage, like the female, and only gradually gain the white plumage of the adult. Dr. Jerdon 

 describes the habits of the Indian Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiplwne* paradisi) as follows: "In 

 its habits it is restless and wandering, flitting continually from branch to branch and from tree 

 to tree. It feeds chiefly on small flies and Cicadellce, almost always capturing them on the wing, 

 sometimes pickirg one off a leaf or bough. I never saw it descend to the ground, as mentioned by 

 Sykes. It is usually single or in pairs. Its flight is somewhat undulating, and it has a curious 

 appearance on the wing, its long tail moving in jerks. I have heard no note, except a rather 

 loud, harsh, grating cry of alarm. I have never seen its nest. Layard says that it makes a neat 

 nest of moss and lichens, lined with hair and wool. The Ceylon names of the bird are Fire-thief 

 and Cotton-thief respectively for the red and white birds. I have kept this Flycatcher alive for a 

 few days in a closed room, and it used to be flitting about, catching flies and mosquitoes, the whole 

 day. One flew on board a ship in which I was a passenger in the Bay of Bengal, between Madras 

 and Vizagapatam, in October, 1836, and remained three or four days in the rigging. Blyth tells 

 me that he has kept it for many months in a large aviary, where it subsisted on the flies which were 

 attracted by the odour of the shrimps with which various small waders and others were daily 

 supplied." 



THE RESTLESS FLYCATCHER (Suuraj inquieta} . 



It is a curious fact that, although the Flycatchers are such a lai-ge family, the accounts of their 

 habits are singularly monotonous, and present very little difference in this respect. The only person 

 who has minutely noted the various characteristics of the different forms is Mr. Gould, and it 

 is perhaps on account of the greater diversity of form which is met with in Australia. This fact 

 must be the apology for the frequent quotations which are made in the course of this woi'k from 

 his " Handbook to the Birds of Australia." Before quitting the family it seems well to give the 

 habits of the Restless Flycatcher, a very peculiar little bird, as detailed by the celebi-ated naturalist 

 mentioned above. He writes : " This species ranges over the whole of the southern portions of the 

 Australian continent, and appears to be as numerous at Swan River as it is in New South Wales, 

 where it may be said to be universally distributed, for I observed it in every part I visited, both 

 * T('p<d?, joy ; (f>wnj, song. t <reo, I shake ; oipd, a tail. 



