RHIPIDURA HAMADRY AS, Sclater.
Rufous-backed Fantail Flycatcher.
Rhipidura hamadryas, Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1883, p. 54.
T h is species belongs to the section o f the genus Rhipidura with the rump and upper tail-coverts rufous or
cinnamon-coloured. Its nearest allies would appear to be R . semicollaris from Eastern Timor and R . dryas
from Northern Australia; but from both of these it is distinguished by the mantle being rufous like the rest
of the back, and by the ashy tips to the tail-feathers.
The only specimens known were procured in L a rat by Mr. H. O. Forbes during his first expedition to
the Tenimber group ; and I am indebted to Dr. Sclater for lending me the type specimen from which the
accompanying description has been drawn up.
Adult female. General colour above dark ferruginous or cinnamon-rufous; lesser wing-coverts brown, with
a slight wash of rufous ; median and greater coverts, bastard-wing, primary-coverts and quills dusky brown,
narrowly margined with ashy rufous, a little clearer rufous on the inner greater coverts and the secondaries;
upper tail-coverts like the back ; tail-feathers ashy brown, all but the centre ones with a broad tip o f greyish
white to the inner web, before which is a shade o f black, the outer feathers also shaded with ashy whitish at
the end o f both webs; the bases o f all the tail-feathers edged with ferruginous; forehead bright ferruginous,
extending backwards to above the e y e ; remainder of the crown and hind neck dusky brown; lores and
feathers below the eye blackish; ear-coverts sooty brown; cheeks and throat white, with a large spot of
black on the lower p art o f the latter ; remainder o f under surface creamy buff; the sides of the upper breast
ashy olive; sides of body and flanks a little deeper fulvous, as also the thighs ; under tail-coverts fulvous
white ; under wing-coverts and axillaries ashy fulvous, the latter with whitish edgings ; quills below dusky ;
inner edge of quills ashy; “ legs and feet black ; iris dark brown or black ” {H. 0 . Forbes). Total length
5 -6 inches, eulmen 0*5, wing 2 ’4, tail 3, tarsus 0 -8.
The Plate represents an adult female o f this species, of the natural size, in two positions.
[R. B. S.]