288 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 



Genus PiezorJiynchus. Fly-eatchers. 

 A large genus extending from Australia through the Papuan 

 island to Timor and Moluccas. 



The Shining Fly-catcher. 



P. niiidus. 



North and North-east Australia, Aru Islands. 



Length of male 7.3, of female 6.8 inches. Male: Whole of plumage 

 rich, deep, glossy greenish -black; iris red. ITemale: Top and sides of 

 head and nape of the colour of the male - plumage, back, wings and tail 

 rusty-brown; under-surfaee white. 



"Inhabits the densest mangroves and thickets, and is 

 usually seen creeping about close to the ground among the 

 fallen trees in the swamps, at which time it utters a note so 

 closely resembling the croak of a frog, that it might easily be 

 mistaken for the voice of that animal ; this peculiar note would 

 seem to be only emitted while the bird is feeding on the ground ; 

 for when it occasionally mounts to the higher branches of the 

 trees it utters rather a pleasing succession of sounds resembling 

 ticit-te-twite. The nest is built among the mangroves, or on the 

 verge of a thicket near an open spot." (Grilbert). It is cup- 

 shaped, made of bark, bound with fibres and cobwebs, and all 

 over the outside small pieces of bark like bits of lichen are 

 attached, some hanging by a single thread and moving about 

 with every breath of air. The eggs two, bluish- white, spotted 

 and blotched with olive and greyish-brown, .8 x .6 inch. 



The Spectacled Fly-catcher. 



- • P. gouldi. 



East AustraliaT ~-""- 



Length of male 5.8, of female 6 inches. The male and female coloured 

 alike,, ashy-grey- above; wings •■browh, tail -black; sides" of throat, neck 

 and chest , bright", orange rufous, centre of breast, abdomen and under 

 tail-eoyerts white; -forehead and a ring of feathers round each eye black. 



The nest is usually built between the stems of the lawyer 

 palm, Calamus australis, and is outwardly composed of shreds 

 of bark fibre, grasses and dried skeletons of leaves, ornamented 

 and held together with spiders' webs and egg bags, the inside 

 being neatly lined with fine black hair-like roots. (North). Eggs 



