THE BROWN FLY-CATCHER 



271 



Family Muscicapidce. 



Bill broadened and rather flat, generally furnished with 

 numerous rietal bristles; culmen keeled. Eminently insect- 

 ivorous. 



Key to the Genera, 



A. Wings long, longer than the tail, and distance between 

 the wings and the tip of the tail not greater than 

 the length of the tarsus. 



a. Bill broader, when measured across the nostrils the 



width equals the length of the hind toe, without 



the claw. Micrceca. 



b. Bill narrower, when measured across the nostrils 



the width much less than length of hind toe. 



1. Distance of wings from tip of tail greater than 



length of culmen. 

 Second primary longer than the secondaries. 



Culmen very small, about a quarter of an inch. Smicrornis. 

 Culmen about half an inch. 



Under tail-coverls short. Robins. Petroaca. 



Under tail-coverts long. Yellow-breasted 



in Australian species, G-erygone. 



Second primary equal to secondaries. Bristles 



scanty. Pseudogerygone. 



2. Distance of wings from tip of tail not greater than 



length of culmen. 

 Bill higher than broad at the nostrils. Heteromyias. 



Bill broader than high at the nostrils. Poscilodryas. 



B. Wings shorter, the distance between the wings and the 

 tip of the tail greater than the length of the tarsus. 



a. Wings shorter than tail. 



Sexes coloured alike. Rhipidura. 



b. Wings longer than tail. 



1. Bill moderately broad, at base of forehead width 



equal hind toe without claw. Myiagra. 



2. Bill extremely broad and flattened; culmen 



elevated into a distinct ridge. Machgerirhynchus. 



3. Bill narrower. 



Culmen very long and thin, longer than middle 



toe with claw. Sisura. 



Culmen not as long as middle toe with claw. 



With a fleshy eye-wattle. Arses. 



Without a fleshy eye-wattie. 



Head velvety, with soft scale-like plumes. Piezorhynchus. 

 Head with ordinary plumage. Monarcha. 



Genus Wlicrceca. 



The Brown Fly-catcher. 



Microeca fascinans. 



Australia except North and West. 



Upper surface and sides ashy-brown; throat, beUy and under tail- 

 coverts white; outermost tail feathers pure white. Length 4.9 inches, 

 wing 3.45. 



