MUSCICAPA BANYUMAS. 



It has a loud and very agreeable note. During my visit to Banyumas, a province 

 on the western confines of the native Prince's territory, I not unfrequently observed 

 it in the forests which cover the hills in the vicinity of the capital. I was then 

 unacquainted with the locality of its distribution, and from this cause have to regret 

 the imperfection of my materials ; for it never occurred to me in the eastern parts of 

 Java, to which my Researches were chiefly confined. 



Two specimens only remained to be consulted in the following description. 

 Their appearance is represented in our figure with sufficient accuracy ; but it is to 

 be remarked, that on the flexure of the wings, and on the forehead, the light blue 

 tint, inclining to azure, should appear with greater brilliancy. M. Temminck's figure 

 of the Muscicapa cantatrix, which has above been cited as a Synonym, represents 

 a defined line along the ' forehead, extending backward over the eyes, which in our 

 specimens is less distinctly marked. It is also clearly pointed out in his description. 



The upper parts are dark indigo blue, with a lighter tint inclining to azure, on 

 the flexure of the wings, and on the frontal band above mentioned. The internal 

 vanes of the intermediate tail-feathers, and the quill-feathers at their extremity, and 

 along the internal margin, as well as the tail underneath, are black. The junction 

 of the mandibles, the base of the bill generally above and underneath, and the 

 region between this and the eyes, are surrounded by delicate velvet-like plumes, of 

 an intense black colour. A mark of the same colour commences at the gape of the 

 bill, stretching first backward to enclose the orbits ; and then, descending along the 

 sides of the neck, terminates in a sharp point near the shoulder. Underneath our 

 bird has an orange tint, more saturated and rufous on the throat and breast, inchning 

 to yellow on the plumes of the vent and of the abdomen. The irides are dark 

 coloured, and the feet brown. The bill is black, rather broad at the base, and less 

 elevated and strong than in many other Fly-catchers. It is surrounded by numerous, 

 rigid, decumbent vibrissae. The claws are large, strongly compressed, and acute. 

 The tail is somewhat lengthened, and the extremity of the wings reaches its middle. 

 The entire length of our bird is five inches and eight lines. 



In the female, agreeably to M. Temminck's description, the head and the neck 

 above are grayish, the back olive, and the tail and the wings brown, bordered by 

 reddish ; the under parts have generally a paler orange tint, and the mark on the 

 sides of the head and neck is whitish. 



