48 Direclor s Annual Report. 



Genus RHIPIDURA Vigors & Horsford. 



a". "Bases of all the tail feathers, rump aud upper tail coverts 

 rufous, length 4.94." Rhipidura saipancnsis. 



a,-. Bases of the tail feathers, rump and upper tail coverts a 

 bright rufous, length 5.50-6.25. Rhipid^ira uranice. 



48. Rhipidura saipanensis Hart. 



Mr. Hartert, in Nov. Zool., 1898, V., p. 54, describes the 

 Rhipidura from the island of Saipan as a new species. I have no 

 specimens from Saipan, but in description the}^ are charadlerized 

 as having the base of recftrices rufous ; rump and upper tail coverts 

 rufous ; sides of abdomen rufous ; ear coverts, line under eye, and 

 lores black ; all of which is most certainl}' true of the R. uranice, 

 which I now have before me. These were taken on the island 

 of Guam during the months of June, July and August, 1900. 

 The measurement of R. saipa7iensis is given as (male): "L,eugth 

 151mm., wing 69mm., tail 80mm., bill 8mm., tarsus 19mm. 

 Hab. Island of Saipan, Marianas." 



49. Rhipidura uraniae Oust. Chirita. Fan-tailed Fly- 

 catcher. 



Rhipidura uranicr, Oustalet, Bui. Soc. Philom de Paris, V., p. 75 ; Wiglesw., Aves Polynes., 

 1S91, p. 20. 



This is one of the most interesting little birds on the island, 

 and they were so abundant that it was quite unusual to walk half 

 a mile along the road without seeing at least a pair of them, or 

 hearing their sweet little song which consists of about six low 

 musical notes. It also makes a peculiar charring sound to warn 

 people away from its nest. The following account was written in 

 the field as I watched the bird and is copied from my field notes 

 of June 28 : 



"Seated in the brush waiting to hear the warble of Ga-kalison, 

 'The Dweller among the Reeds' {A. lucinia), I have a good oppor- 

 tunity to watch and compare the notes and habits of the two Guam 

 fly-catchers, R. uranicr and M. freycincti, which are now feeding 

 within six feet of me. Urania' is extremely acftive, and as com- 

 pared to it the movements of Frcycineti are very slow and clums)-. 

 Uj-anio' has the most astonishing way of whirling around and 

 alighting just the other end on from what one expects. In this 

 instance it was as polite as a Spaniard, and always faced towards 

 me, spreading its beautiful fan-like tail and making a low chirping 

 note. Not so the Frcycineti, who looked me over critically, elevated 

 his head crest, and giving his tail an odd little twerk, proceeded to 

 hop deliberately up the limb like a sap-sucker, busy at work look- 



