PQZECILODRYAS BIMACULATA.

Black-and-White Flycatcher.

Myvolestes ? bimaculata, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. vi. p. 84.

Pachycephala? bimaculata, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genovy. vii. p. 935 (1875), x. p. 142 (1877).

Pecilodryas bimaculata, Sharpe, Notes Leyden Mus. i. p. 25 (1878).—Id. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. iv. p. 244 (1879).
—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. xiv. p. 502 (1879).—Id. Orn. Papuasia, ete. ii. p. 85 (1882).

Pecilodryas sylvia, Ramsay, Trans. Linn. Soc. N. 8. Wales, viii. p. 5 (1883).

 

Tue genus Pecilodryas consists of two groups, or sections, characterized by the colour of the abdomen; in
one section the abdomen is white, in the other yellow. The white-bellied group may be further subdivided
into those which have the throat white and those which have a black throat. The present species belongs to

 

the latter section, which now contains three species—P. bimaculata, P. ethiops, aud P. albinotata, the latter
being distinguished by its bluish-grey upper surface.

P. bimaculata and P. ethiops ave the upper surface black, with the rump and upper and under tail-
coverts white; but they may easily be distinguished from each other, P. dimaculata having the abdomen
white, a long white patch on the sides of the fore neck and chest, and the imner wing-coverts black ; whereas
in P. ethiops the abdomen is black, the inner wing-coverts are white, forming a shoulder-patch, and there
is n0 white on the sides of the fore neck.

The present species was discovered in north-western New Guinea by Signor D’Albertis, and has been met
with in the same locality by Dr. Beccari and M. Laglaize. It has been more recently obtained in the
Astrolabe Mountains by Mr. Goldie, and a specimen from that range of mountains has been lent to me by
Mr. Ramsay.

The following description is copied from the ‘ British Museum Catalogue of Birds’ :—

«Adult male. Above velvety black ; upper tail-coverts white, forming a band across ; wings and tail black ;
sides of face, sides of neck, throat, and breast black, as well as the flanks and thighs ; abdomen, vent, and
under tail-coverts white; on each side of the chest a broad line of pure white feathers running from the
sides of the lower throat to the sides of the upper breast ; under wing-coverts black ; quills ashy black below.
Total length 5:1 inches, culmen 0-6, wing 3:3, tail 2, tarsus 0:85.”

The figures in the Plate, which represent an adult bird of the natural size, are drawn from the Astrolabe-
Mountain specimen lent to us by Mr. Ramsay, the type of his P. syoa. Pee el

 

 

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