WHITE-SHAFTED F ANT AIL. 
125 
any period of the year*.” The pure white shafts, 
contrasted with the hlackish colour of the tail, 
when expanded, gives to this bird an elegance of 
appearance which it would not otherwise possess. 
The bill is remarkably short, so that the bristles, 
which are thickly set, reach as far as the tip ; the 
feathers of the head and throat are very full, resem- 
bling, in this respect, those of a Parus, or Titmouse; 
which group it represents in the circle of Muscica- 
pince. The general colour of the upper parts is 
dark sepia brown, approaching to black ; the edges 
of the tertials, and the tips of the greater and lesser 
wing-covers, are dull white, the spots upon the les- 
ser covers being very small. In young birds, or in 
the females, these spots and borders are tinged with 
ferrugineous ; the chin, and a stripe over the eye 
and ear, are w'hite ; so also are the shafts and tips of 
the tail-feathers ; just below the chin is a narrow 
collar of brown, beyond which the rest of the under 
plumage is light buff colour; tail, and the upper 
covers, black. 
Total length 6 inches ; bill, gape, T 4 S ; front, f ; 
wings, 2f ; tail beyond, If ; base, 3^ ; tarsus, tV 
The next modification of form, or sub-genus, we 
have named 
* Linn. Tr. xv. 248. 
