THE BIRDS OF TRAVANCORE. 463 



(80) iETHiOPSAR fusous.— The Jungle Myna. 

 Oates, No. 552 ; Jerdon, No. 686. 

 Common in well-wooded parts of the low country up to the foot 

 of the hills, which it does not ascend. Travancore birds vary somewhat 

 in size in the length of the wing from 4*6 to 5'J. 



Family MUSCICAPID^. 



(81) Cyornis pallidipes. — The White-bellied Blue Flycatcher. 

 Oates, No. 573 ; Jerdon, No. 309. 



I have not come across this flycatcher at all, nor does Mr. F. W. 



Bourdillon mention it in his " First List." He must, however, have 



obtained specimens subsequently, as Dr. Bowdler Sharpe has kindly 



informed me that the British Museum possesses " a male collected by 



Bourdillon in Travancore, 24 ii. 78," and another male <c Mynall, no 



date," Mynall being the name of Mr. Bourdillon's coffee estate — now, 



alas ! like so many others in Travancore, abandoned and grown up 



in jungle. According to the " Second List " it is not rare, although 



nowhere common, in all heavy jungle from 1,000 feet and upwards. 



(82) Stoparola melanops. — The Verditer Flycatcher. 



Oates, No. 579 ; Jerdon, No. 301. 



Mr. F. W. Bourdillon writes of this bird as follows : — " Common 

 though not abundant up to 2,000 feet elevation, and prefers clearings in 

 the forest wherever there are heaps of unburn t brushwood lying about 

 Is a winter visitor from December to March." I have not met with it, 

 and as Oates expressly states that it is absent from "that portion of the 

 Peninsula of India south of the Nilgiris, " I wrote for information, 

 and Dr. Bowdler Sharpe informs me that there are " two specimens of 

 Stoparola melanops, $ 9, collected by Bourdillon in Mynall, 27th 

 November, 1874, another male same place, 2nd December, 1878." 

 (83) Stoparola albicaudata. — The Nilgiri Blue Flycatcher. 

 Oates, No. 581 ; Jerdon, No. 302. 



Mr. Bourdillon records this as follows : — ' Is more frequently 

 observed in forest with thick underwood, and prefers a rather higher 

 elevation than the last species (S. melanops)," but sent no specimens 

 to Mr. Hume. Oates, therefore, gives its distribution as the Nilgiri 

 and Palni Hills. It is, however, common from the High Range to the 

 extreme south. It is found at the summits of the hills in forest and is 

 abundant. It has a very sweet song. 



12 



