MACHAUTRIRHYNCHUS NIGRIPECTUS, Seniecer.

Black-breasted Flycatcher.

Macherirhynchus mgripectus, Schlegel, Obs. Zool. v., Ned. Tijdschr. voor de Dierk. iv. p. 43 (1873).—George
Dawson Rowley, Proc. Zool. Soc. May 1876, p. 414. . ;

Macherorhynchus nigripectus, T. Salvadori, Ann. del Mus. Civ. di St. Nat. di Genova, vii. p. 768, 1875.—Atti
della Reale Acad. delle Scienze di Torino, February 1875, vol. x. p. 378.

 

Or this very rare species I have received two specimens, from which the accompanying drawing was
taken, one very kindly lent to me by Geo. Dawson Rowley, Esq., of Brighton, the other from Dr. Meyer,
of Dresden, through the hands of Mr. Gerrard. Both these, I believe, are from the northern part of New
Guinea. I regret to be unable to state any particulars as to the habits and disposition of this bird; but its
peculiarly constructed bill would naturally lead me to infer that aphides and very soft-winged gnats
constitute a great portion of its food.

Face hoary, eye surmounted by a stripe of yellow; throat, ear-coverts, neck, and under surface bright
yellow ; on the chest a somewhat lengthened tuft of feathers, which are black at their bases and yellow at
their tips, giving the appearance of a dark patch on this part of the under surface; crown of head and
upper surface generally very dark grey tinged with olive; tail-feathers black, all but the four centre ones
margined and tipped with white ; wings blackish, the lesser and greater wing-coverts and tertiaries tipped
with white; bill and Jegs black. In size this bird about equals JZ. wanthogenys and M. albifrons,

Total length 42 inches, wing 32, tail 22, tarsi 3, bill .

The figures in the accompanying Plate, and which I suppose to represent the male and female, are of
the size of life.

Hab. Arfak Mountains, New Guinea.

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