jHQECA AS SIMILIS. OoiiU.
MICRCECA ASSIMILI S , Gould.
Western Micrceca.
Microeca assimilis, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1840, p. 172.—Id. B. Austr. Intr. p. xl (1 8 4 8 ).—Bonap. Consp. Gen.
Ay. i. p. 321 (1850).—Reichenbach, Yôg. Neuholl. p. 287 (1850).—Cab. Mus. Hein. Tli. i. p. 52 (1850).
—Gould, Handbook B. Austr. i. p. 260 (185G).—Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales, ii. part
2, p. 182 (1878).—Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. iv. p. 124 (1879).
Myiagra assimilis, Gray, Gen. of Birds, i. p. 261.
Muscicapa assimilis, Gray, Hand-list o f Birds, i. p. 324, no. 4856 (1869).
T he genus Micrceca was instituted by me in 1840 for the reception of the present bird and the M . fascinans
of Latham, also an Australian species. Since th at time only two or three species have been discovered
in the Papuan Islands and North-eastern Australia; so th at in Micrceca we have a thoroughly Australian
genus o f Flycatchers, representing the true Flycatchers of Europe and Asia. I t may be noticed th at the
two best-known Australian species, Micrceca fascinans and M . assimilis, in their sober brown coloration are-
not unlike the Common Flycatcher ( Butalis grisold) of England.
The present species very closely resembles M. fascinans o f New South Wales, o f which it is the representative
in Western Australia; but it is smaller, and, instead o f having the outer tail-feathers pure white,
has only the tip of the inner web and the outer edge of the external tail-feather white.
T h e species is described in full by Mr. Sharpe, whose words I here transcribe:—
“ Adult male. General colour above earthy brown, the upper tail-coverts d arker sepia-brown; wing-coverts
brown; quills brown, narrowly edged with lighter brown, the secondaries with dull wh ite; four centre tail-
feathers dark brown, the next two on each side tipped with white on the inner web, the white tip gradually
increasino- in size towards the outermost, which has also the outer web wh ite ; a narrow frontal line o f dull
white drawn backwards over the fore part o f the e y e ; in front of the eye a dusky s p o t; ear-coverts brown
with a slight dash of rufous; cheeks, throat, abdomen and under tail-coverts white, the chest slightly shaded
with liffht brown, the sides o f the body more distinctly light earthy brown ; axillaries pale rusty brown ;
under win°--coverts whity brown, with dusky bases; bill and feet bluish brown ; iris reddish brown.
Total length 4 -5 inches, culmen 0-45, wing 3-35, tail 2 25, tarsus 0 55.”
T he female is similar to the male.
M r Sharpe also notices a specimen from North-western Australia, collected by Mr. Elsey, in which there
a re small white spots a t the tips o f the primary-coverts. These he believes to be a sign o f immaturity.
All the specimens which have as yet come under my notice have been from Western Australia; but Mr.
Ramsay also gives the Gulf o f C arpentaria as a habitat for the species. I have never seen it from anywhere
hut Western Australia.
The figures in the Plate represent this species o f the natural size, and a re drawn from skins in my own
collection. There is no difference in the sexes.