Genus — MICROECA. 
Microeca Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. (Lond.), 1840, 
p. 172, July 1841. Type (by monotypy) : Microeca assimilis Gould. 
Also spelt — 
Micraeca Bonaparte, Consp. Gen. Av., Vol. I., pt. 2, p. 320, 1851 (Feb.). 
Medium-sized Muscicapine birds with medium flattened bill, long wings, 
medium tail and short legs. 
The bill is well hooked, flattened, culmen-keeled, slightly depressed at 
sides ; under mandible flattened ; rictal bristles few. 
The wing is comparatively long, the first primary about one-third the 
length of the second, which is less than the fifth, the third and fourth subequal 
and longest, though not much exceeding the fifth. The tail is comparatively 
long, as in Muscicapa, but much shorter than in some Muscicapine genera, 
as Rhipidura, and square. The feet are small, the metatarsal covering entire. 
While this genus has been admitted by European genus-lumpers, they 
have included in Muscicapa such diverse forms as Ficedula, Alseonax and 
Arizelomyia. Yet I suggest that Microeca is the Australian representative 
of Muscicapa, even as Petroica represents Erythrosterna and Melanodryas, 
Ficedula. Moreover, Arizelomyia was proposed for the species latirostris 
Raffles, classed otherwise in Alseonax, and this is exceedingly like Microeca 
in every superficial detail. 
I have seen no detailed acount of the osteology of this common 
Australian form, which in view of its suggested relationship might prove a 
valuable contribution. 
Key to the Genus. 
White on some of the tail-feathers 
No white on any tail-feather ... 
M. fascinans, p. 63. 
M. hrunneicauda, p. 71. 
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