NILTAVA. 41 



Length about 8-5 ; tail 3-6 ; wing 4-2 ; tarsus *9 ; bill from 

 gape -1. 



Distribution. Tbe Himalayas from Nepal to the Daphla hills in 

 Assam from 4000 to 7000 feet elevation ; the Khasi and Naga 

 hills ; Manipur ; Muleyit mountain in Tenasserim. 



Habits, Sfc. Breeds from April to June, constructing a nest of 

 moss in a cleft of a rock or of a tree-trunk, and laying four eggs, 

 which are pale buff freckled with pinkish brown, and measure 

 about -9 by -7. 



594. Niltava sundara. The Rufous-bellied Niltava. 



Niltava sundara, Hodgs. Incl. Rev. i, p. G50 (1837) ; Blyth, Cat. 

 p. 174 ; Horsf. % M. Cat. i, p. 268 ; Jerd. B. I. i, p. 473 ; Hume, 

 N. $ E. p. 213 ; Blyth, Birds Burm. p. 102 ; Hume, Cat. no. 314 ; 

 Sharpe, Cat. B. M. iv, p. 463 ; Oates, B. B. i, p. 2U5 ; id. in Hume's 

 N. Sr E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 20. 



The Rufous-bellied Fairy Blue-Chat, Jerd. ; Niltau, Nep. ; Maryony, 

 Lepch . 



Coloration. Male. Forehead, lores, sides of the head, chin, and 

 throat deep black ; crown of the head, nape, rump, upper tail- 

 coverts, a spot on either side of the neck, and the lesser wing- 

 coverts glistening blue ; the remaining coverts and quills dark 

 brown, edged with purplish blue; back and scapulars purplish 

 black ; tail black, the outer webs edged with bright blue ; the 

 whole lower plumage and the under wing-coverts chestnut. 



Female. Upper plumage olive-brown, tinged with fulvous on the 

 rump ; upper tail-coverts and tail chestnut ; wings brown, edged 

 with rufous ; sides of the head and lores mixed fulvous and brown, 

 with paler shafts ; lower plumage rich olive-brown, tinged with 

 ochraceous ; the chin and throat rather rufous, the abdomen 

 whitish ; a large oval patch of white on the fore neck, and a small 

 patch of brilliant blue on each side of it ; under tail-coverts pale 

 buff ; under wing-coverts and axillaries buff. 



Young birds are dark brown streaked with fulvous both above 

 and below. In males some trace of blue, and in females an indi- 

 cation of the white neck-patch, make their appearauce at an early 

 age. 



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



Length about 0*5 ; tail 2 - 7 ; wing 3*2 ; tarsus -8 ; bill from 

 gape -7. 



Distribution. The Himalayas from Simla to Assam from 5000 

 to 8000 feet elevation ; the Khasi hills ; Karenuee at 4000 feet. 

 Blvth records this species from Arrakan and Tenasserim. I have 

 not been able to examine specimens from these localities. It 

 extends into Western China. 



Habits, 4'°. Breeds in April and May, constructing a nest of 

 moss among the roots, or in a crevice of a trunk of a tree, or 

 sometimes against a rock. The eggs are pale buff freckled with 

 dingy pink, and measure about *93 by '71. 



