THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
After the Fantails come Myiagra, Machcerirhynchus , and Seisum, three 
unlike genera, two of which recall extra-limital forms, while the third has 
even a doubtful inclusion in the family. One of the striking Australian 
forms, its incessant movements so attracted the attention of the early settlers 
that its Latin cognomen was given by a British worker to indicate this 
action, inquietus , hence the Restless Flycatcher of the modern systematist, 
but the Dishwasher, even more expressive, of the Colonial. 
The broad-billed Myiagra with its satin plumage has its bill exceeded in 
a smaller bird, the gaily-coloured northern Machcerirhynchus. There may be 
no direct relationship between these two, the broad bills having brought about 
their juxtaposition. Another northern genus is Ophryzone, the Australian 
representatives of the New Guinea genus Arses. The next four are also 
immigrants from the north, but while Piezorhynchus is confined to North 
Queensland and Northern Territory, the other three Symposiachrus, Carterornis 
and Monarcha have all ranged down Queensland into New South Wales and 
none occur in the Northern Territory. The relations of these genera must all 
be sought in New Guinea and there is no doubt of their extra-Australian origin. 
Peculiarly enough, they generally show an alien facies when contrasted with 
the purely southern forms. 
From the preceding we can recognise two series of “ Muscicapine ” birds 
in the Australian avifauna, both of which appear to have migrated into 
Australia from the north, but apparently at different times. The first 
migration extended into Tasmania and the colonists have developed an 
Australian facies , while the later one only reached into the northern parts 
and has retained its extra -Australian appearance. 
Indicative of the colonising ability of the earlier series may be cited the 
typical Bhipidura which has reached New Zealand and has been so long 
established there that a melanistic derivative has become fixed and has been 
recognised with specific rank. About the same time the forerunners of the 
“ Petroica ” group also reached New Zealand, and this entity being apparently 
more suspectible to environmental stresses the Neozelanic representatives 
have developed such characters as to receive generic separation even from 
the genus-lumpers. Gerygone also colonised New Zealand, and at the 
Chatham Islands a very distinct island form has been achieved which has 
been generically named, and considering the remarkable constancy of this 
group it may well claim that rank. It is proposed to deal more in detail 
with the groups as they are dealt with in the family. 
Since the above was written Hartert, in the Practical Handbook of 
British Birds , part 5, has diagnosed his family Muscicapidce (p. 282), as 
follows : “ (including the so-called Sylviidce, Turdidce and most of the 
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