Order PASSERIFORMES. 
No. 450. 
Family MUSCICAPIDJE. 
ETHELORNIS CANTATOR. 
SINGING FLYEATER. 
(Plate 384.) 
Pseudogerygone cantator Weatherill, Queensl. Nat., Vol. I., p. 74, Sept. 30th, 1908 : 
Moreton Bay, Queensland. 
Pseudogerygone cantator Weatherill, Queensl. Nat., Vol. I., p. 74, 1908 ; id., Emu, Vol. 
IX., p. 26 (July 12th), 1909 ; H. L. White, ib., Vol. XV., p. 62, 1915. 
Gerygone Icevigaster cantator Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 310, 1912. 
Wilsonavis Icevigaster cantator Mathews, List Birds Austr., p. 173, 1913. 
Gerygone cantator Chisholm, Emu, Vol. XVII., pp. 150-2, 1908. 
Distribution. South Queensland. 
Adult male. General colour of the upper-parts ochreous-brown including the top of the 
head, entire back, wings, and tail ; inner webs of greater upper wing-coverts and 
inner webs of flight-quills hair-brown with paler inner edgings to the latter ; tail 
similar to the back with a blackish subterminal band and a white spot on the inner 
web at the tips of the lateral feathers ; fore-head and a line over the eye whitish ; 
a dark spot in front of the eye ; sides of the face rather paler than the back ; throat, 
abdomen, under tail-coverts, and under wing-coverts dull white ; breast pale ash- 
grey ; sides of the body isabelline ; thighs grey ; under-surface of flight-quills pale 
brown with paler inner edges ; lower aspect of tail blackish-brown with a spot of 
white on the inner web of the lateral feathers at the tips. Eyes red ; bill and feet 
black. Total length 112 mm. ; culmen 13, wing 59.5, tail 44, tarsus 19. Figured. 
Collected at Breakfast Creek, Brisbane, Queensland, on the 29th of April, 1910. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male. 
Immature. Practically the same as adult. 
Nest. “ A strongly built, compact structure of oval shape and abruptly narrowing to a 
long, slender appendage ; it is suspended from one or more slender twigs, round 
which the material forming the roof is neatly and strongly woven ; the entrance is 
protected from the weather by an overhanging flap, similar to the eaves of a house. 
It is composed externally of delicate fibrous bark, fine roots, and dry grasses, firmly 
bound together by spider’s webs, and almost invariably ornamented with the 
cocoons of those insects ; internally it is lined with feathers, thistledown, and 
other soft material. It is most frequently suspended from the end of a mangrove 
bough overhanging the water. Total length 11 inches, about 5 inches of which 
constitute the appendage ; diameter 3 inches at the widest part ; entrance circular, 
1 inch in diameter.” (Weatherill.) 
162 
