Tristr.
PIEZORHYNCHUS VIDUA, Tristram.
White-backed Pied Flycatcher.
Piezorhynchus vidua, Tristram, Ibis, 1879, p. 439.—Salvad. Ibis, 1880, p. i3 0 .^F r i3 tr ;am, Ibis, 1880, p. 246.
Piezorhynchus mclanocephalus, Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. iv. p. 468.
Monarcha vidua, Salvad. Orn. Papuasia, etc. ii. p. 24 (18 8 1 ).
T he original specimen o f this Flycatcher was obtained by Lieut. Richards, R.N., a t Makira Harbour, San
Cristoval, in the Solomon group o f islands, on the 3rd of October .1878; and on the 21st o f May 1879
the same gentleman procured a second specimen in the same locality, and this was named by Mr. Ramsay
Piezorhynchus mclanocephalus. Count Salvadori expressed at one time an opinion that the present bird was
identical with Mr. Ramsay’s Monarcha brodiei, but afterwards, in his great work on the birds o f New Guinea,
he came to the conclusion that they were really different species ; and this proves to be the case, now that
we have examined the typical specimens o f both birds.
The present species belongs to a section of the genus Piezorhynchus which is very distinct from all the other
groups o f these Pied Flycatchers by reason o f the white collar and white rump. The only species with which
it could be confounded is P . squamulatus, which has similar white markings on the wings, but has the feathers
o f the fore neck edged with black, so as to present a scaled appearance.
The following is a description o f the type specimen :■—
Adult male. General colour above blue-black on the mantle, upper back and scapulars; lower back and
rump white, as well as the upper tail-coverts ; lesser wing-coverts black, with ovate spots of white, the median
and greater coverts white, with rath er broad black edgings; bastard wing, primary-coverts, and quills black,
the inner secondaries with a broad mark o f white towards the end o f the outer web; tail-feathers black, the
three outer feathers tipped with white, increasing in*extent towards the outermo st; head blue-black, separated
from the mantle by a broad collar o f white, which also occupies the sides o f the neck ; lores, feathers round
the eye, cheeks, and ear-coverts black ; throat also b lack ; remainder of the under surface o f body pure wh ite;
thighs b lack ; under tail-coverts white, as also the under wing-coverts and axillaries; the coverts near the
edge o f the wing black ; quills blackish below, with their extreme inner base white ; “ feet ash-colour ; bill
black ; iris grey ” (Richards). Total length 5-8 inches, culmen 0*65, wing 2*95, tail, 2-9, tarsus 0*8.
The figures in the Plate are drawn from the typical specimen, which has been very kindly lent to us by
Canon Tristram. [R B S ]