Australian Birds in the Collection of the Linnean Society. 247 



tially in the air this member becomes of much importance, as 

 contributing more or less to their support or government in their 

 aerial movements. In the true Muscicapa its general character 

 is that of being slightly forked : in the present group it is 

 rounded at the apex ; but what it loses in that forked structure, 

 which is generally supposed to be most conducive to the pur- 

 poses of flight, it gains in being lengthened and capable of being 

 spread out like a fan, so as to give the bird a greater power in 

 the air. The group is also distinguished by the great length 

 and number of the rictal bristles, which exceed the bill itself in 

 length. This also is an important character among the birds 

 that feed on insects in the air, as serving to encompass and 

 secure their prey : and the greater or less developement of the 

 character becomes a material point of distinction among them. 

 The wings, although very similar in structure to those of Musci- 

 capa, are less rounded, and, being in a slight degree acumi- 

 nated, possess perhaps somewhat superior powers of flight. We 

 have not hitherto noticed any birds possessing the characters of 

 the group, except the New Holland species. 



1. Flabellifera. Kliip . fusco-nigra ; macula superciUari post- 

 ocularicjue, gula, tectricum apicibus, rectricumque rhachibus 

 et apicibus albidis ; abdomine ferruginescente. 



Muscicapa flabellifera. Gmel. i. 9-i3. no. 6l . 



Fan-tailed Flycatcher. Lath. Gen. Hist. vi. p. 184. no. 44. pi. 99- 



The figure that Dr. Latham gives of this species has much 

 more white on the lateral tail-feathers than our bird. But that 

 gentleman affirms that the species is subject to much variation. 

 Mr. Caley thus observes on the manners of this bird. "■ Fa?i- 

 tail. — There is somethino- singular in the habits of this bird. It 

 frequents the small trees and bushes, from whence it suddenly 

 darts at its prey, spreading out its tail like a fan, and to appear- 

 ance 



