Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 2).djvu/111

Rh 645. Ruticilla erythrogaster. Guldemtadt's Redstart.

Motacilla erythrogastra, G'tild. Nov. Com. Petrop.xu.. p. 469. pis. in, 17 (1775). Ruticilla crytliroirustni (G'dld.}, Blyth, Cat. p. 168 ; Horsf. Sf M. Cat. i, p. 304 Jenl. B. I. ii, p. 131) ; Blanf. J. A. & 1L xli* pt. ii, p. 51 ; llmne $ Henrier*. Lh. to York, p. 210; Scully, S. F. iv, p. 144 ; Jlitinc, Cat. no. 409 ; llid,lnli>lt, Ibis, 1881, p. 03 j Scully, Ibis, 1881, p. 445 ; Scebohm, Cat. Ii. M. v, p. 347. Ruticilla viprorsi, Moore, P. Z. S. 1854, p. 27, pi. Ix ; Horsf. $ M. Cat. i, p. ."04.

The White-winged Redstart, Jerd.

Coloration. Male. After the autumn moult the crown and nape are white with a few ashy margins ; forehead, sides of head and neck, back, scapulars, upper wing-coverts, chin, throat, and upper breast deep black, a few of the feathers margined with grey ; wings black, the middle portion of all the quills except the tertiaries white ; remainder of the plumage with the tail deep chestnut. Soon after the autumn, the few margins present on the black portions of the plumage drop off, and the crown becomes pure white.

Female. Upper plumage brown tinged with ashy ; the lower portion of rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail ferruginous, the middle tail-feathers and the tips of the others dusky; wings brown, edged with pale fulvous ; sides of head and whole lower plumage uniform fulvous-grey. The female has no seasonal change of plumage.

Bill black, yellow at gape; iris brown; legs, feet, and clavs black (Hume Coll.}.

Length about 7 ; tail 3 ; wing 4-2 ; tarsus 1-05 ; bill from gape -7.

Distribution. The Himalayas from Kashmir and Gilgit to Sikhim. In summer this species is found at very high altitudes, from 10,000 to 14,000 feet or even higher. In winter it descends to 5000 feet. This Redstart extends on the west to the Caucasus ; on the north, through Turkestan and Tibet, to Lake Baikal in Southern Siberia; and on the east into China.

Habits, &c. This species, like Chimarrkomit leucocephalus, affects streams and lakes, but is more frequently seen, according to 15 Ian ford, on rocky hill-sides. Its nest has not yet been found by any naturalist.

Genus RHYACORNIS, Blauford, 1872.

The genus Rhyacornit contains one species, which is closely allird to both (Chimarrhoruis and Rutivvilla. It differs from both tlicM-. howt-Ner, in the shortness of its tail, which is about tuuv tin-length of the tarsus, ;md in its strong rictal bristles. The female, moreover, has no chest nut on the tail.

The only member of this genus inhabits mountain-streams, and is always round near ater, especially here this forms a rapid or a cascade. It has the habit of expandini; its tail frequently.