Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 2).djvu/40

26 Distribution. The whole peninsula of India, except Sincl and the extreme north-west portion. This species is absent from the Himalayas. It appears to be a resident wherever found, but may be locally migratory according to season and place. To the east it has occurred in Manipur, the hills east of Bhamo, the Karen hills east of Toungngoo, Karennee, Thoungyah in Tenasserim, extending to Kossoom in the Malay peninsula in a modified form as above noticed. This Flycatcher occurs in Ceylon up to 4000 feet.

Habits, fyc. Breeds in May, June, and July, constructing a nest of dead leaves and grass in a hole of a bank or tree, and laying three eggs, which are so thickly speckled as to appear to be of an olive-colour or brownish rufous throughout, and measure about '76 by -56.

577. Cyornis niagnirostris. The Large-billed Blue Flycatcher.

Cyornis magnirostris, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xviii, p. 814 (1849); Jerd. B. I. i, p. 469 ; Godw.-Aust. J. A. S. B. xxxix, pt. ii, p. 100 ; Blanf. J, A. 8. B. xli, pt. ii, p. 158 ; Hume, Cat. no. 308. Siphia niaofnirostris (Bl.}. Sharpe. Cat. B. M. iv. p. 45.13 : Oates, B. 3. i, p. 290.

Coloration. Male. Upper plumage, cheeks, ear-coverts, sides of the neck, and wing-coverts deep blue, brilliant on the forehead and over the lores and eyes ; feathers at the base of the upper man- dible and lores black ; chin, throat, and breast chestnut ; sides of the breast blue ; sides of the abdomen fulvous ; middle of the ab- domen and the under tail-coverts white ; under wing-coverts and axillaries clear buff ; tail-feathers dark brown, suffused with blue on the outer webs; greater wing-coverts and quills dark brown, with dull blue margins.

Female. Upper plumage olive-brown, tinged with rufous on the upper tail-coverts ; tail brown, suffused with ferruginous ; coverts and quills brown, edged with rufous-olive ; lores and a ring round the eye fulvous ; chin, throat, and breast orange-rufous, paler on the chin and throat ; flanks suffused with ochraceous ; abdomen and under tail-coverts white.

The young are similar to those of C. rubeculoides.

Iris dark brown ; legs pale flesh-colour (Godwin-Austen}. Length about 6 ; tail 2-5 ; wing 3'2 ; tarsus -7 ; bill from gape -9.

Distribution. Sikhim; Cachar ; the Khasi hills; the extreme south of Tenasserim. The distribution of this species as known is very incomplete, and it will probably be found spread over the greater part of Assam and Burma. It is a resident in Sikhim ; occurs in Cachar in May, and in Tenasserim from December to March.

There are some specimens of this bird in the Hodgson collection, but nothing to show that they came from Nepal. They were probably obtained in Sikhim.