PSOPHODES CREPITANS, Vigors % Horsficld. 



Coach-whip Bird. 



PLATE LX. 



P. olivaceo-brunneus, subvirescens, capite cristato, jugulo pectoreque nigris ; taenia lata 

 utrinque sub oculos alba, abdomine albo variegata. 



Coach- whip Honey-eater. Lath. Gen. Hist. vol. vi. p. 187- 



Muscicapa crepitans, Lath. Ind. Orn. supp. li. 



Psophodes crepitans, Vig. Sf Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. vol. xv. part. i. p. 329- 



This bird is placed provisionally by Mr Vigors and Dr Horsfield at 

 the extremity of the Meliphagida. It combines the forms of the Honey- 

 eaters, the Shrikes, the Linnean Fly-catchers, and the long-tailed American 

 Thamnophili, and cannot finally be arranged in any group until something 

 more decided is known regarding its structure and manners. The tongue, 

 which is the only member in a dried state that could lead us to any opi- 

 nion, was wanting in a number of specimens we have had an opportunity 

 of inspecting ; and it does not yet appear to have been seen by any former 

 describers. The accounts we have of the habits seem to ally it as much to 

 the above-mentioned genera as it is by its external characters. 



The general shape of the bird approaches that of the Thrushes or larger 

 Shrikes : the wings are very short, the tail long and broad ; the upper co- 

 verts and rump feathers possess all the characters of American Thamno- 

 phili and the Puff-backed Shrikes of Africa. The length is from ten to 

 eleven inches : the head is fully crested, and with the breast and side of 

 the belly is deep black ; upon the lower part of the cheeks there is a broad 

 stripe of white, which in some specimens is nearly joined in the centre of 

 the throat ; the feathers on the centre of the belly are tipped with white, 

 sometimes forming nearly an entire patch of that colour from the approxi- 

 mation of the spots ; the back, rump, base of the tail, and greater wing-co- 

 verts, are yellowish-oil-green ; the quills and extremity of the tail brown- 

 ish-black ; the two exterior tail-feathers are tipped with white. 



