GERYGONE MAGNIROSTRIS,Gould.Great-billed Gerygone.
Gerygone magnirostris, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part X. p. 133.
Of this species I regret to say but little information has as yet been received; the two examples in my collection are all that have come under my notice, and these were shot by Mr. Gilbert on Greenhill Island near Port Essington, while hovering over the blossoms of the mangroves and engaged in capturing the smaller kinds of insects upon which it feeds, during which occupation he observed that it gave utterance to an extremely weak twittering song: unfortunately he had no further opportunity of making himself acquainted with its habits and manners, which, however, doubtless resemble those of the other members of the genus.
All the upper surface brown; margins of the primaries slightly tinged with olive; tail-feathers crossed near the extremity by an indistinct broad band of brownish black; all the under surface white, tinged with brownish buff; irides light brown; bill olive-brown; the base of the lower mandible pearl-white; feet greenish grey.
The Plate represents male and female of the natural size.