. The illustrated natural history [microform]. Birds; Natural history; Oiseaux; Sciences naturelles. THE WIIITE-SIIAl-TED FAN-TAII. 353 nvcitiikiiif,' tlio liiv^'G wiiij:;c(l insects on wliiili it loves to fVrd ; ami wliile eiij^'ii^'ed in liiest! iuM'iiil iiiaiKeuvies it eoiistiuitly spicads or closes its tail. Except iiu- iiM'iliutely after moultinji,', the lonjf scissor- liki' i'ealliers of the tail are seldom in a jii'ii'i (1 slate, as the bird is very vivacious in its movements, and in its (|uiek ^dancing tlii;!it anion,!;- the bninchi^s is apt to fray (he licautil'ul ]ilumes aj^'a'nst th
. The illustrated natural history [microform]. Birds; Natural history; Oiseaux; Sciences naturelles. THE WIIITE-SIIAl-TED FAN-TAII. 353 nvcitiikiiif,' tlio liiv^'G wiiij:;c(l insects on wliiili it loves to fVrd ; ami wliile eiij^'ii^'ed in liiest! iuM'iiil iiiaiKeuvies it eoiistiuitly spicads or closes its tail. Except iiu- iiM'iliutely after moultinji,', the lonjf scissor- liki' i'ealliers of the tail are seldom in a jii'ii'i (1 slate, as the bird is very vivacious in its movements, and in its (|uiek ^dancing tlii;!it anion,!;- the bninchi^s is apt to fray (he licautil'ul ]ilumes aj^'a'nst the houghs, and often rulis the wehs entirely away, Iciiviiig the lonjf shafts protrudin^Lf, clotlied only with little rapj^ed l'ra;>ments of web. 'ilic Fork-tailed Elycatcher is quite as liiavo a bird as the proceilinjf species, and is freiiuently seen to attack and defeat birds tliat are far superior in size and bodily stivnu'th, but inferior in dashinir eourasie. The colourniji; of this bird is brieily as fdlliiws : The top of the liead is velvety bliick when the bird is at rest; but when it liccomes excited, it raises the featliersof its head into a khid of crest, and displays a Iniylit orange spot, caused by the orange hue which tinges the basal parts of each R'iillirr. The neck, back, and upper parts of th(^ body are dark grey, deepening ijTialually towards the tail, which is jetty hliick with the exception of the white (inter web of the exterior quill-featliers. The under portions of the l)ird are wliito. The total length of this l)ird is about foniteen imhes, of wliich the tail occupies tell, so that the dimensions of the bird are really small. We now arrive at the typical Fly- catchers, named, in allusion to their insect- eating luibits, the ]\Iuscicapine birds. This group includes numy curious and interesting species, one of the most re- maikablf being tlie Fan- tail of Australia, lleyond elegance of furm and pleasing arrangement of rather sou
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1800, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectnaturalhistory
