Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 2).djvu/62

48 600. Terpsiphone nicobarica, n. sp. The Nicobar Paradise- Flycatcher.

Tchitrea affinis (Hay), Walden, Ibis, 1873, p. 309 ; Hume, S. F. ii, p. 216.

Coloration. The changes of plumage of this species cannot be followed with the same certainty as in the two preceding species, by reason of the smaller number of specimens available for ex- amination, but certain characters are present which serve to distin- guish the present form at once.

In the chestnut plumage the male has the whole head and neck all round with the chin and throat glossy black ; the back ashy rufous ; rump dull rufous ; upper tail-coverts, tail, and the visible portions of the closed wing bright chestnut ; breast dark ashy ; remainder of lower plumage pale ferruginous.

The female in the chestnut plumage, which is never changed, resembles the chestnut male, but has the sides of the head, chin, throat, breast, and sides of the neck uniform dark ashy. In the white stage the male is undistinguishable from the male of T. affinis.

This species differs from T. paradisi in all stages of plumage by having a short, round crest, by the ashy tint of the plumage of the back when in the chestnut stage ; and by the same characters, when in the white stage, as those which separate T. affinis from T. paradisi.

Erom T. affinis it differs when in chestnut plumage by the male having the whole head and neck, chin and throat glossy black, T. affinis (male) in this stage having only the crown and crest of this colour, the other parts being constantly dark ash}'-. In white plumage the two species appear to be uu distinguishable.

From T. incii of the Malay peninsula it differs in the pale coloration of the back when in chestnut plumage, and further in attaining a white stage, which T. incii apparently never does. It is of the same size as T. affinis.

Distribution. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where this species appears to be a constant resident.

Genus HYPOTHYMIS, Boie, 1826.

The genus Hypothymis contains two Indian Flycatchers of a brilliant blue colour, one being of wide distribution and the other confined to the An damans.

In Hypothymis the bill is very large and flattened, its length being about double its width at the nostrils. The rictal bristles are very strong and numerous. The tail is ample, being of the same length as the wing. The sexes differ, but preserve the same pattern of colour, with the exception of certain marks on the head and neck. Both the species found within the Empire are resident.