MICRCECA FLAVIGASTER, Gould.
Yellow-bellied Micrceca.
Microsca Jlavigaster, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part X. p. 132.
Brown Flycatcher, Residents a t Port Essington.
T h i s little Flycatcher, which is a native of the northern portions o f Australia, is met with in the neighbourhood
of Port Essington in every variety of situation, and is particularly abundant on all the islands in Van
Diemen’s Gnlf. “ Its habits and manners,” says Mr. Gilbert, “ assimilate more nearly to those o f the
Pelroic* than to those o f any other group. It gives utterance to many different notes, ponnng forth at
the dawn of day a strain much resembling that o f some of the Petroic*, and like them remaining stationary
for a long time while giving utterance to its very pretty and agreeable melody. In the middle o f the day,
when the sun is nearly vertical, it leaves the trees and soars upward in regularcirclcs, like the Skylark, until
it arrives at .so great a height as to be. scarcely perceptible ; it then descends perpendicularly until it nearly
reaches the trees, when it closes its wings and apparently falls upon the branch on which it alights. During
the whole o f this movement it pours forth a song, some parts of which are very soft and melodious, but
quite different from that o f the morning; in the evening its song is again varied, and then so much
resembles the unconnected notes of the Gerygones, that I have frequently been misled by it. The « ™
Jlavigaster is a very familiar species, inhabiting the trees and bushes close around the houses, and is little
alarmed or disturbed at the approach of man. At times it is extremely pugnacious; I have seen a pair
attack a crow and beat it until it was obliged to seek safety by flight, all the while calling out most lustily.
Notwithstanding it is so abundant everywhere, and it must have been breeding during my stay here, as is
proved by my. killing young birds apparently only a few days old, I did not succeed in finding the n e st; and
on inquiring of the natives, they could give me no information whatever respecting it or the period of in-
cubation.”
The sexes do not differ in colour or size.
The stomach is tolerably muscular, and the food consists of insects o f various kinds.
All the upper surface brownish olive; wings and tail brown, margined with paler brown; throat white;
all the under surface yellow; irides blackish brown; feet blackish grey.
The figures are o f the natural size.