184 FLYCATCHER. 



44— FAN-TAILED FLYCATCHER- Pl. xcix. 



Muscicapa flabellifera, Lid. Orn. ii. 477. Gm. Lin. i. 943. 



Moucherolle, Tern. Man. Ed. ii. Anal. p. lxvii. 



Fan-tailed Flycatcher, Gen. Syn. iii. 340. 33. t. 49. Shaw's Zool. x. p. 340. pl. 31. 



SIZE of the Bearded Titmouse ; length six inches and a half. 

 Bill black, a little bent, and furnished with bristles at the base; irides 

 hazel ; the whole head, taking in the eyes, black ; this descends on the 

 back part lower than the nape, from whence it passes forwards in a 

 narrow collar to the throat ; the chin, throat, and sides of the neck, 

 except where this collar passes, are white ; and over the eye a white 

 streak like an eyebrow ; the upper parts of the body are olive-brown, 

 the quills darkest, and some of the wing coverts tipped with white; 

 the under parts yellowish rust-colour, growing whitish towards the 

 vent ; the tail very long, and cuneiform in shape ; the two middle 

 feathers black, the others white ; legs dusky. 



Inhabits the southern Isle of New Zealand. — Dr. Forster informed 

 me, that it is exceedingly familiar, constantly hunting after insects 

 and flies, always with the tail spread like a fan ; is easily tamed, and 

 will then sit on a person's shoulder, and pick off the flies. It has a 

 chirping note, not to be called a song ; and is called by the natives 

 Diggo-wagh-wagh . 



It is subject to Variety. One from the Island of Tanna, was 

 darker in colour; the two middle tail feathers sooty-black, with 

 white shafts ; the inner margins and tips whitish ; the others with 

 the inner webs deep black, the shafts paler black, the outer webs 

 almost grey. — A second Variety, in the collection of Sir Joseph 

 Banks, had only the outer tail feathers white, the others white, with 

 dusky margins. This was seven inches in length, and brought from 

 Dusky Bay. 



