MÄCBLffiHIMHYWCincrS HIGMDPECTUS. SM.
J.CoaJèbAWJBmpdtUet/VlK.
Woher imp.
MACH^ERIRHYNCHUS NIGRIPECTUS, Schlegel.
Black-breasted Flycatcher.
Macharirhynehus nigripectus, Schlegel, Ohs. Zool. v., Ned. Tijdschr. voor de Dierk. iv. p. 43 (1 873).—George
Dawson Rowley, Proc. Zool. Soe. May 1876, p. 414.
Macharorhynchus nigripectus, T. Salvadori, Ann. del Mus. Civ. di St. Nat. di Genova, vii. p. 768, 1876.—Atti
della Reale Acad. delle Scienze di Torino, February 1876, vol. x. p. 378.
Of this very rare sp ecies I have received two specimens, from' which the accompanying drawing was
taken, one very kindly len t to me by Geo. Dawson Rowley, E sq., o f B righton, th e otber from Dr . Meyer,
o f Dr esden, through the hands o f Mr. Gerrard. Both these, I believe, are from the northern part o f New
Guinea. I regret to be unable to state any particulars as to the habits and disposition o f this b ird ; but its
peculiarly constructed bill would naturally lead me to infer that aphides and very soft-winged gnats
constitute a great portion o f its food.
F a ce hoary, eye surmounted by a stripe o f y e llow ; throat, ear-coverts, neck, and under surface bright
yellow ; on the ch est a somewhat lengthened tuft o f feathers, which are black at their bases and yellow at
their tips, giving the appearance o f a dark patch on this part o f the under su rfa c e; crown o f head and
upper surface generally very dark grey tinged with olive ; tail-feathers black, all but the four centre ones
margined and tipped with white ; wings blackish, the lesser and greater wing-coverts and tertiaries tipped
with w h ite ; bill and legs black. In size this bird about equals M . xanthogenys and M . albifrons.
Total length 4 £ inches, wing 3 | , tail tarsi i , bill i .
T h e figures in the accompanying Plate, and which I suppose to represent the male and female, are o f
the size o f life.
Hab. Arfak Mountains, New Guinea.