Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 2).djvu/50

36 589. Alseonax ruficaudus. The Rufous-tailed Flycatcher. Muscicapa ruficauda, Swains. Nat. Lib. x, Flycatchers, p. 251 (1838). Cyornis ruficauda (Swains.), Jerd. B. I. i, p. 4(38; Stoliczka, J. A. 8. B. xxx vii, pt. ii, p. 30; Hume, S. F. iv, p. 396; id. Cat. no. 307; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 165.

Siphia ruficauda (Swains.}, Sharps, Cat. B. M. iv, p. 457.

Coloration. Upper plumage and sides of the neck dull olive-brown; upper tail-coverts and tail chestnut; coverts and quills of wing brown edged with olive-brown; lores and round the eye greyish white; ear-coverts fulvous-brown with pale shafts; the whole lower plumage pale earthy brown.

The young are of the usual spotted character, but the upper tail- coverts and tail are chestnut from the first.

Iris dark brown; upper mandible pale brown, lower fleshy; legs, feet, and claws purplish brown (Duvison). Length 5'5 to 6; tail 2-3; wing 3'3; tarsus '6; bill from gape '7.

Distribution. Found in summer in Kashmir, Grilgit, and the Himalayas from Murree to the valley of the Bhagirati river up to altitudes of 10,000 feet. This species extends in summer to Afghanistan, where Wardlaw Ramsay observed it breeding but failed to find its nest. In the winter months it has been recorded from Ahmednagar and Mount Abu, and from numerous other localities in the west of India down to Travancore, extending on the east as far as Raipur in the Central Provinces.

Godwin- Austen records this species from Cachar, but probably by an oversight.

590. Alseonax muttui. Layard's Flycatcher.

Butalis muttui, Layard, A.M. N. H. (2) xiii, p. 127 (1854); Legge, Ibis, 1878, p. 203; Hume, S. F. vii, p. 513; id. Cat. no. 299 ter.

Cyornis mandellii, Hume, S. F. ii, p. 510 (1874), iv, p. 396, vii, p. 456; id. Cat. no. 307 bis.

Alseonax flavipes, Legge, S. F. iii, p. 367 (1875).

Alseonax muttui (Layard), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. iv, p. 132; Leyye, Birds Ceyl. p. 417, pi. xviii. Siphia mandellii (Hume}, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. iv, p. 453, footnote.

Alseonax mandellii (Hume), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. iv, App. p. 472; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 109.

Coloration. Forehead, crown, and nape olive-brown, with indistinct brown shaft-streaks; remainder of the upper plumage ruddy brown, changing to bright ferruginous on the upper tail-coverts; wings brown, the outer webs of the coverts and quills broadly edged with ferruginous; tail brown, suffused with ferruginous on the outer webs; lores and a conspicuous ring round the eyes white; chin and throat white; ear-coverts olive-brown; cheeks, sides of the neck, the whole breast, and the sides of the body yellowish brown; middle of the abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts pale yellowish white.