S JBATANTÆ, Sharp«
ARSES BATANT Æ, S harpe.
Large Frilled-necked Flycatcher.
Arses lalmtte, Sharpe, Notes Leyden Mus. i. No. 5, p. 20 (18 7 9 ).—Id. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. iv. p. 411 (1879).
T h is species is the largest of the genus Arses yet discovered; and it is remarkable that a yellow bill and
eye-waftle, instead of blue ones, are sometimes seen in adult males. The female is also very different
from th at sex of the allied species in its coloration, having the back brownish orange, with the wings of
the same colour, the innermost secondaries being exactly like the back, as are also the rump and upper
tail-coverts; the tail also is plain orange-chestnut, with a faint shade o f brown at the e n d ; the head is dark
grey, and the lores white.
The islands inhabited by the present bird are Waigiou and Batanta, whence, Mr. Sharpe informs me, the
Leyden Museum has a considerable series collected by the late Dr. Bernstein. I transcribe the following
detailed description of the species from Mr. Sharpe’s ‘ C atalogue of the Flycatchers ijgp jjg jl
"A d u lt male. Similar to A . telescophthalmus, but rather larger, and sometimes having the wattle round
the eye and bill ypllow. Total length 7 inches, culmen 0-7, wing 3-4, tail 3, tarsus 0 7 5 .
"Ad u lt female. General colour above light rufous, the wing-coverts and inner secondaries like the b ack;
primary-coverts and primaries dusky brown, externally edged with light rufous, the secondaries more
broadly, the inner ones being almost entirely orange-rufous, with a shade of dusky brown on the inner
web ; tail-feathers pale rufous, the centre feathers dusky brown, with pale rufous edges and sh afts; crown
o f the head dark grey, as also the feathers round the eye, which are slightly mottled, with white b a ses ;
loral spot dull wh ite; ear-coverts, sides o f face, and throat light orange-buff; remainder o f the under
surface white, the sides of the breast washed with o ran g e; the tibial plumes and under wing-coverts light
orange-buff, the edge o f the wing deeper orange; axillaries bufly wh ite; quills ashy brown below, rufescent
along the inner web. ■ Total length 7 inches, culmen 0-65, wing 3 3 , tail 3, tarsus 0-8.”
The figures in the Plate are drawn from a pair of birds collected by Mr. Wallace in the island o f Waigiou,
and now in my own cabinet.