NTTTDUr-A. — STOPAROLA. 



Genus NITIDULA, Jerdon & Blyth, 1861. 



The single species of this genus differs from the members of 

 Cyornis in having a very narrow slender bill. It has been observed 

 very little, and I cannot find a single note about its habits. In 

 structure this bird is a true Flycatcher, having well-developed hairs 

 over the nostrils. 



578. Nitidula hodgsoni. The Pigmy Blue Flycatcher. 



Nemura hodgsoni', Moore, P. Z. S. 1854, p. 70, pi. 62 : Horsf. $■ M. 



Cat. i, p. 300. 

 Nitidula campbelli, Jerdon $ Blyth, P. Z. S. 1861, p. 201. 

 Nitidula hodgsoni (Moore), Jerd. B. I. \, p. -472 ; Blanf. J. A. S. B. 



xli, pt. ii, p. 159; Oodw.-Aust. J. A. S. B. xlvii, pt. u, p. 15; 



Hume, Cat. no. 313 ; id. 8. F. xi, p. 112. 

 Tarsiger hodgsoni {Moore), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. iv, p. 258. 



Coloration. Male. Lores and a frontal baud black ; sides of the 

 head black, with a bluish tinge ; the whole upper plumage bright 



Fig. 9.— Bill of N. hodgsoni. 



blue, the anterior half of the crown ultramarine ; wings and tail 

 black, the outer webs edged with blue ; the whole lower plumage 

 pale orange-yellow ; under wing-coverts and axillaries vyhite. 



Female. The whole upper plumage, the exterior margins of the 

 wing- and tail-feathers, and the ear-coverts olive-brown, slightly 

 rufescent on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; lores and cheeks 

 fulvous yellow, slightly mottled with brown; the whole lower 

 plumage saffron-yellow, paling on the abdomen and under tail- 

 coverts. 



I have not been able to examine a nestling bird ; but after the 

 autumn moult the young of both sexes resemble the adult female, 

 and the male begins to assume the adult plumage about March. 



Bill black ; legs pale reddish ; iris dark brown (Jerdon). 



Length nearly 4 ; tail 1*4 ; wing 1*9 ; tarsus -6 ; bill from 



gape - 5. 



Distribution. A resident species in Sikhim up to /000 feet or 

 higher ; Sadiya and Dibrugarh in Assam ; the Naga hills. 



Genus STOPAROLA, Blyth, 1847. 



The genus Stoparola is hardly worthy of separation from 

 Cyornis. All the members of the genus, however, are green or 

 blue throughout in both sexes, and the tvpe of the genus has a 



