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PIEZORHYNCHUS VIDUA, Tristram

White-backed Pied Flycatcher.

Piezorhynchus vidua, Tristram, Ibis, 1879, p. 439.—Salvad. Ibis, 1880, p. 130.—Tristram Ibis, 1880, p. 2

9p. . ; S, ‘ :
Piezorhynchus melanocephalus, Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. iv. p. 468 » Pp. 246,
Monarcha vidua, Salvad. Orn. Papuasia, ete. ii. p. 24 (1881).

Tue original specimen of this Flycatcher was obtained by Lieut. Richards, R.N., at Makira Harbour, San
Cristoval, in the Solomon group of islands, on the 3rd of October 1878; and on the 21st of May 1879
the same gentleman procured a second specimen in the same locality, and this was named by Mr. Remmeay
Piezorhynchus melanocephalus. Count Salvadori expressed at one time an opinion that the present bird was
identical with Mr. Ramsay’s Monarcha brodiei, but afterwards, in his great work on the birds of New Guinea,
he came to the conclusion that they were really different species ; and this proves to be the case, now that
we have examined the typical specimens of both birds.

The present species belongs to a section of the genus Piezorhynchus which is very distinct from all the other
groups of these Pied Flycatchers by reason of the white collar and white ramp. The only species with which
it could be confounded is P. sgwamulatus, which has similar white markings on the wings, but has the feathers
of the fore neck edged with black, so as to present a scaled appearance.

The following is a description of the type specimen :—

Adult male. General colour above blue-black on the mantle, upper back and scapulars ; lower back and
rump white, as well as the upper _tail-coverts ; lesser wing-coverts black, with ovate spots of white, the median
and greater coverts white, with rather broad black edgings; bastard wing, primary-coverts, and quills black,
the inner secondaries with a broad mark of white towards the end of the outer web; tail-feathers black, the
three outer feathers tipped with white, increasing in extent towards the outermost ; head blue-black, separated
from the mantle by a broad collar of white, which also occupies the sides of the neck ; lores, feathers round
the eye, cheeks, and ear-coverts black ; throat also black ; remainder of the under surface of body pure white ;
thighs black ; under tail-coverts white, as also the under wing-coverts and axillaries; the coverts near the
edge of the wing black; quills blackish below, with their extreme inner base white ; “ feet ash-colour ; bill
black ; iris grey ” (Richards). Total length 5°8 inches, culmen 0:65, wing 2°95, tail, 2°9, tarsus 0°8.

The figures in the Plate are drawn from the typical specimen, which has been very kindly lent to us by

Canon Tristram. (Rasa Se