RHIPIDURA HAMADRYAS, 
Rufous-backed Fantail Flycatcher. 
Sclater. 
Rhipidura hamadrym, Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1883, p. 54. 
This species belongs to the section of the genus Rhipidura with the rump and upper tail-coverts rufous or 
cinnamon-coloured. Its nearest allies would appear to he R. semicollaris from Eastern Timor and R. dryas 
from Northern Australia ; but from both of these it is distinguished by the mantle being rufous like the rest 
of the hack, and by the ashy tips to the tail-feathers. 
The only specimens known were procured in Larat by Mr. H. O. Forbes during his first expedition to 
the Tenimber group ; and I am indebted to Dr. Sclater for lending me the type specimen from which the 
accompanying description has been drawn up. 
Adult female. General colour above dark ferruginous or cinnamon-rufous ; lesser wing-coverts brown, with 
a slight wash of rufous ; median and greater coverts, bastard-wing, primary-coverts and quills dusky brown, 
narrowly margined with ashy rufous, a little clearer rufous on the inner greater coverts and the secondaries ; 
upper tail-coverts like the back ; tail-feathers ashy brown, all hut the centre ones with a broad tip of greyish 
white to the inner web, before which is a shade of black, the outer feathers also shaded with ashy whitish at 
the end of both webs; the bases of all the tail-feathers edged with ferruginous; forehead bright ferruginous, 
extending backwards to above the eye ; remainder of the crown and hind neck dusky brown ; lores and 
feathers below the eye blackish ; ear-coverts sooty brown ; cheeks and throat white, with a large spot of 
black on the lower part of the latter ; remainder of under surface creamy buff ; the sides of the upper breast 
ashy olive ; sides of body and flanks a little deeper fulvous, as also the thighs ; under tail-coverts fulvous 
white ; under wing-coverts and axillaries ashy fulvous, the latter with whitish edgings ; quills below dusky ; 
inner edge of quills ashy; “ legs and feet black ; iris dark brown or black ” ( H . 0. Forbes ). Total length 
5*6 inches, culmen 0*5, wing 2*4, tail 3, tarsus 0*8. 
The Plate represents an adult female of this species, of the natural size, in two positions. 
[R, B. S.] 
