RHIPIDURA LEUCOTHORAX, sawaa.

White-breasted Fantail Flycatcher.

Rhipidura leucothoraw, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. vi. p. 311 (1874).—Id. & D’Albert. op. cif. vil. p. 820
(1875).—Salvad. op. cit. ix. p. 25 (1876), x. p. 134 (1876).—Oustalet, Bull. Soc. Philom. 1877, p. 6.—
Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. iv. p. 327 (1879).—D’Albert. & Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. xiv. p. 60
(1879).—Salvad. ¢. c. p. 498 (1879).—Id. Orn. Papuasia, ete. ii, p- 58 (1881).

Rhipidura episcopalis, Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. ii. p. 371 (1878).—Salvad. Ibis, 1879, p. 323.

 

Tuts species belongs to the section of the genus F/ipidura with blackish under tail-coverts and rounded
white spots on the chest. The large white breast-patch distinguishes it from all its near allies.

In North-western New Guinea the present bird has been found in Hatam and at Mariati by Bruijn, and
D’Albertis procured specimens in Southern New Guinea on the Fly River, near Hall Bay and at Naiabui.
Mr. Ramsay has also described a bird as R#. episcopalis from Goldie River, in the interior of South-eastern
New Guinea, which is certainly the same as R. leucothorax. It shonld be noticed, however, that the single
example in the British Museum, determined by Count Salvadori himself to be 2. deucothorax, differs from his
description in having the chin white, and may belong to another species, unless it is the young bird.

The following is a description of the type specimen of Rhipidura episcopats, which has been lent to us by
Mr. Ramsay :—

Adult male. General colour above earthy brown, the head a little more dusky than the back and blacker
on the forehead ; scapulars like the back; wing-coverts black, spotted with white at their ends; primary-
coverts blackish ; quills dark sooty brown; upper tail-coverts black ; tail-feathers black, tipped with white,
increasing in extent toward the outermost ; lores and base of forebead, feathers above and below the eye, and
ear-coverts black, extending on to the sides of the neck ; above the eye a band of white separated from the
crown by a narrow line of black ; hinder part of cheeks white, widening out on the sides of the throat and
neck, and forming a large white patch ; fore part of cheeks and throat black, widening out on the fore neck
and chest, and having rounded white spots on the latter ; remainder of breast white, the adjoining chest-
feathers black, tipped with white, or white with black edges ; sides of body and flanks pale ashy brown ; vent
and under tail-coverts black, the latter with white tips ; thighs black; axillaries white with black bases; under
wing-coverts black, tipped with white; quills dusky below, pale brown along the edge of the inner web.
Total length 6-8 inches, culmen 0°65, wing 3:05, tail 3:0, tarsus 0°85.

The Plate has been drawn from the specimen above described, which is represented in two positions, of

the size of life.

[R. B. S.J

 

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