210 JOURNAL, NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY OF SI AM Vol. 1. 



It is consequently only to be met with, as a rule, in a tew suitable 

 localities in the outskirts of Bangkok. 



Distribution. Apparently widely distributed, as it is also record- 

 ed from Trang ( Robinson and Kloss ); from Northern Siam (Gyklens- 

 tolpe); and from the Ratburi and Petchaburi Monthons (Gairdner); while 

 I have obtained it on the East coast of the Galf of Siam in October. 



f- 39 (606). Rhipidurajavanica. The Java Fantail Fly- 

 catcher. 



Siamese, "Un Vll^ IIVIU ( Nok hang p'hen ). 



Descriftion. Length up to 190 mm. (7.5. in). Male. Forehead, 

 crown and sides of head sooty brown ; the remainder of the upper plum- 

 age (including wings) brown, suffused with rufous ; tail dark brown, 

 the four outer pairs of tail-feathers broadly, the pair next to then nar- 

 rowly, tipped with white ; a short and half-concealed supercilium pure 

 white. Chin, a band across the breast, and the sides of the breast 

 blackish brown ; remainder of lower plumage white, tinged with buff. 

 Female. Somewhat smaller, upper plumage rather duller, and lower 

 plumage more buff than the male. 



Iris dark brown. Bill black, base of lower mandible dusky flesh- 

 colour. Legs blackish brown to black, the soles dusky greenish flesh- 

 colour. 



Habits, etc. A permanent resident in Bangkok, and one of the 

 commonest birds in our gardens, where its liveliness and its habit of 

 flirting and dancing about with outspread tail (hence its name of Fan- 

 tail Flycatcher) and half-opened wings, make it a most noticeable and 

 attractive little bird. Its note is a joyous one, usually of five rather 

 slowly drawn-out syllables, cheech che-weech che-iveech. 



The food of this bird consists, of course, of insects, which it pur- 

 sues and seizes in the air, in the usual flycatcher manner, by darting at 

 it from a branch, but the Java Fantail Flycatcher is also frequently to 

 be seen on the ground dancing along with outstretched tail and wings 

 in the manner above described. 



IJistribution. Apart from Bangkok, this bird appears, so far, 

 to have been recorded only bj' Gairdner from the Provinces of Ratburi 

 and Petchaburi, but 1 have met with it at Sriracha, Ayuthia and Koli 

 Lak, at both of which last-named places I found it common. 



( To be coniviiued ). 



