THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
through the white and give a barred appearance ; thighs dark grey ; under-surface 
of flight-quills and lower aspect of tail blackish-brown. Bill leaden-black, eyes 
brown, feet leaden-blue. Total length 152 mm. ; culmen 13, wing 86, tail 75, 
tarsus 15. Figured. Collected on the Barron River, North Queensland, on the 
25th of March, 1912. 
Adult female. Crown of head and nape dark glossy steel-green ; back, upper tail-coverts, 
and scapulars slate-blue ; wings blackish-brown with pale margins to some of the 
feathers, inner edges of flight-quills white ; tail blackish, paler on the lateral 
feathers and smoke-brown on the outermost which are whitish along the outer webs ; 
sides of face dull black ; the short feathers round the eye whitish ; throat, fore- 
neck, sides of neck, and sides of breast cinnamon-rufous ; middle of breast, abdomen, 
sides of body, thighs and under tail-coverts white ; axillaries, and under wing- 
coverts tinged with pale buff ; under-surface of flight-quills dark hair-brown 
with white inner margins ; lower aspect of tail also dark hair-brown with white 
shafts to the lateral feathers and white along the outer web of the outermost feathers. 
Bill and feet black, eyes dusky. Total length 164 mm. ; culmen 12, wing 88, 
tail 80, tarsus 16. Figured. Collected at Cairns, North Queensland, in October 
1911. 
Immature. Rather like the adult female. 
N est. Cup-shaped. Composed of strips of bark, held together with cobweb and decorated 
on the outside with lichen. Outside measurements 3-3 J inches by 2. Inside 
2 by 1. 
Eggs. Clutch, two or three. White, with a zone of umber and lavender round the larger 
end. 20 mm. by 17. 
Breeding-season. November to January. 
Gould wrote : “ The Myiagra nitida appears in Tasmania about the end of 
September, commences breeding soon after its arrival, rears a somewhat 
numerous progeny during the months of summer, and departs again in February. 
In performing these migrations it necessarily passes directly over the colonies 
of South Australia and New South Wales, yet it seldom occurs in collections 
from those countries. It is a most lively, showy, and active bird, darting 
about from branch to branch and sallying forth in the air in pursuit of its insect 
prey with a singular quick, oscillating or trembling motion of the tail.” 
Mr. A. G. Campbell has written me : “ This species is found chiefly about 
the mountains of the centre and eastern Victoria and in the Grampians. It is 
a migratory species. The female is distinguished from that of M. rubecula 
by having the crown of the head a shining metallic colour. The species in 
Tasmania is slightly smaller, and is without the narrow white edgings on both 
outer and inner webs of the two outermost tail-feathers, and also to outer 
webs of secondary wing-feathers which are noticeable on the mainland bird. 
If the species is truly migratory, leaving Tasmania in winter, why is there this 
difference ? ” 
Mr. Frank Littler has sent me : “ This species is to be found between 
September and February only in Tasmania. The habits of this species closely 
resemble those of its congeners. Like them it displays great activity in pursuing 
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