MONARCHA TRIVIRGATA.
Black-fronted Flycatcher.
Drymophila trivirgata, Temm. PI. Col. 418. fig. 1.
Monarcha trivirgata, Gould in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part II.
A l t h o u g h the Monarcha trimrgata has been known to naturalists for many years it is still a scarce b i r d ,
very few specimens occurring in any of the numerous collections sent home from Australia, which is
doubtless occasioned by its true habitat not having been yet discovered. AH the specimens I have seen
have been procured in the Moreton Bay district of the east coast.
I have never yet seen what may be considered the female of this bird; all the examples that have come
under my notice being males and marked precisely alike, with the exception of one procured during the
early part of Dr. Leichardt’s expedition from Moreton Bay to Port Essington, which differs in being destitute
of the rufous tint on the flanks.
Forehead, throat, space round the eye, and the ears jet-black ; upper surface dark grey; tail black, the
three.outer feathers on each side largely tipped with white; cheeks, chest and flanks rufous ; abdomen and
tail-coverts white; bill lead-colour; feet black.
The figures are o f the natural size, and represent the bird as usually seen, and also the variation in
colouring above-mentioned.