FANTAIL. 
Rhipidura flabellifera frerei Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 319, Jan. 31st, 1912 : 
Bartle Frere, North Queensland ; id., List Birds Austr., p. 185, 1913. 
Rhipidura flabellifera harterti Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 319, Jan. 31st, 1912 : 
Inkerman, Queensland ; id., List Birds Austr., p. 185, 1913. 
Rhipidura flabellifera albicauda Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVLII., p. 319, Jan. 31st, 1912 ; 
id., List Birds xVustr., p. 185, 1913. 
Rhipidura flabellifera buchanani Mathews, Austral Av. Bee., Vol. I., pt. 4, p. 90, 
Sept. 18th, 1912 : Buchanan Island, Northern Territory ; id., List Birds Austr., p. 
184, 1913. 
Distribution. Australia and Tasmania. 
Adult female. Crown of head, sides of neck, hind-neck, back, scapulars and lesser upper 
wing-coverts greyish-brown ; median and greater series blackish-brown tipped with 
white, bastard- wing, primary-coverts and flight-quills blackish inclining to whitish on 
the inner edges of the last and on the outer ones of some of the inner secondaries ; 
middle tail-feathers blackish, becoming paler on the outer feathers, which have white 
shafts, tipped with white, and fringed with white on the outer web of the outer- 
most feather ; a spot of white above and in front of the eye ; ear-coverts white ; 
rictal bristles black and directed forward ; chin and throat white with black bases 
to the feathers ; sides of body dusky-grey ; breast and abdomen pale buff ; lower 
flanks, under tail-coverts, axillaries and under wing-coverts white ; under-surface 
of quills hair-brown paler on the inner margins ; lower aspect of tail dark brown 
with broad white margins to feathers. Bill dark horn ; eyes hazel ; feet black. 
Total length 152 mm. ; culmen 7, wing 75, tail 82, tarsus 16. Figured. Collected 
at Homebush, New South Wales, in May 1887 and is the type of alisteri. 
Adult male. From the same locality, similar to the above. 
Adidt female. Crown of head, sides of face, and a band across the lower throat black ; 
back, wings, and upper tail-coverts soot-black ; greater series of upper wing- 
coverts minutely tipped with white ; outer margins of inner secondaries fringed 
with white ; tail blackish with white shafts and white margins to the outer feathers, 
which become wider on the outermost feathers ; a supraloral spot of white and 
a similar one on the ear-coverts ; throat white with black bases to the feathers ; 
breast, and sides of body blackish intermixed with buff ; abdomen and lower 
flanks whitish- buff ; under tail-coverts and under wing-coverts greyish- white ; 
under-surface of flight-quills hair-brown ; lower aspect of tail blackish-brown 
with white shafts and white margins to the feathers. Bill and feet black ; eyes, 
hazel. Total length 154 mm. ; culmen 7, wing 72, tail 85, tarsus 16. Figured. 
Collected on King Island, Bass Straits, on the 24th of April, 1914. 
Adult male. From the same locality, similar to the above. 
Adult female. General colour of the upper-surface dark plumbeous-grey including the 
top of the head, sides of face, hind-neck, sides of neck, entire back, and upper wing- 
coverts ; median and greater upper wing-coverts tipped with white like the outer 
margins of the inner secondaries ; flight- quills dark hair-brown paler on the inner 
edges, outer margins olive-brown ; upper tail-coverts and tail blackish, the outer 
feathers of the latter are paler, have white shafts, and broadly fringed with white ; 
a supraloral spot of white which extends to above the eye ; ear-coverts more or 
less white ; lores blackish ; rictal bristles black and only feebly developed ; throat 
white, which extends in line towards the sides of the neck ; breast, abdomen, and 
sides of the body pale buff ; under tail-coverts, axillaries and under wing-coverts. 
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