in Cayenne, according to the older ornithologists. But 

 whether the bird described by them as the female be really 

 such, admits of great doubt, because Dr. Latham (probably 

 on the authority of Buffon) describes it as having a smaller 

 bill, and a few short hairs, instead of long bristles, at the 

 base ; the crown with a spot of yellow, a longer tail, &c. 

 None of these are, in general, sexual distinctions, and, 

 moreover, are at complete variance with the female here 

 figured. The sexes I ascertained by dissection. It follows, 

 therefore, that either the bird found in Cayenne is a distinct 

 species, or that the bird described as its female is not such 

 in reality. This latter supposition I apprehend is nearest 

 the truth. 



The figures are of the natural size, the upper representing 

 the female, and the lower the male bird: the head of the 

 former is entirely destitute of the crest which distinguishes 

 the latter ; in every other respect the resemblance is uniform. 

 This crest, when not erected, is concealed, being nearly 

 covered by the olive feathers around it. When erected, 

 however, it discloses a stripe down the middle of the head 

 of deep straw-coloured feathers, some of which are tipped 

 with olive. The upper mandible of the bill is triangular, 

 and much hooked, notched, and depressed ; the colour is 

 black, the perforations of the nostrils are rather large, and 

 would be naked, were they not partially covered by numerous 

 stiff bristles, which spring from the base of the bill and 

 angle of the mouth ; between the eye and bill a pale stripe. 

 The plumage above is dull olive green, with a broad band 

 of very pale yellow across the rump. Wings and their 

 covers brown ; tail and upper covers blackish ; beneath, the 

 plumage is yellowish, the chin almost white, and the breast 

 and vent tinged with ferruginous ; the two first quill feathers 

 are progressively shorter than the third and fourth, which 

 are equal, and longer than the others. Legs and claws 

 short, slender, and pale. 



This bird would obviously belong to the second division 

 which I had proposed in my former remarks on Platyrhi/nclms, 

 and it is in every respect allied to P. Cei/lonensis, Fl. 13, 

 My reasons for disturbing this previous arrangement have 

 been already given; and, until a complete investigation is 

 made of the immense genus of Flycatchers, I concur with 

 M. Temminck in the distribution which he has proposed; 

 viz. the anangement of the European species under the old 

 genus of M//.SY/<:o/)c/,and of the exotic under that oi" Muscipeta ; 

 the characters of which, however, are very imperfect : they 

 are, indeed, at variance with this bird, which has the outer 

 and middle toe connected only to the //Vs^ joint, and the 

 inner toe cleft to the base. 



