Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 2).djvu/130

116 coverts and a portion of the lower part of the abdomen, which are chestnut ; wings brown or dull black. This plumage is retained till February, when the coloration becomes paler either by bleach- ing or abrasion of the feathers, and in this state the birds resemble T. cambaiensis, but there is always some black left to indicate the species.

Fig. 35. Head of T.ftdkuta.

Female. Lores, forehead, and chin rufous-ashy ; ear-coverts rufous, with pale shafts ; the whole upper plumage brown with a rufous tinge, the wing-coverts edged paler ; quills brown, edged with the colour of the back ; lower plumage ashy grey, varying in different individuals ; middle of the lower abdomen and the under tail-coverts chestnut.

The young are rufous-brown above, obsoletely barred or tipped brighter ; wing-coverts and quills broadly edged with rufous ; upper tail-coverts dusky ; tail blackish : lower plumage brown mottled with rufous, the* chin paler; middle of the abdomen and the under tail-coverts pale chestnut.

The young of this species are more distinctly spotted than are those of T. cambaiensis.

Iris dark brown ; legs, feet, and bill black (Butler).

Length about 6-5 ; tail 2'5 ; wing 2-9 ; tarsus T05 ; bill from gape -75.

Distribution. Ceylon ; the southern portion of India up to Ahmednagar on the west and the Godavari valley on the east. Habits, fyc. Precisely those of the last species in all respects. Eggs of the same type and size.

Genus COPSYCHUS, Wagler, 1827.

The genus Copsychus contains the well-known Magpie-Robin of India and some other allied species. It differs from all the other genera of this subfamily in having a tail which is about equal to the wing in length, considerably graduated, and coloured black and white. The sexes are different, although both possess the same pattern of colour.

663. Copsychus saularis. The Maypie-Robin.

Gracula saularis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 165 (1766). Copsychus saularis (Linn.), Blyth, Cat. p. 166: Horsf. # M. Cat. i, p. '275; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 114; Hume fy Henders. Lah. to Yark. p. 202; Hume, N. $ E. p. 303; id. S. F. ii, p. 230; Hume #