KlIYACOllNIS. 97 



645. Ruticilla erythrogaster. Guldemtadt's Redstart. 



Motacilla erythrogastra, G'uld. Nov. Com. Petrop.xix, p. 469, pis. 10, 



17 (1775). 

 Ruticilla erythrogastra (Giild.), Blyth, Cat. p. 168 ; Jlorsf. 8f M. Cut. 



i, p. 304 ; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 139 ; Blanf. J. A. S. B. xli, pt. ii, p. 51 ; 



Hume 8; Haulers. Lah. to York, p. 210; Scully, S. F. iv, p. 144 ; 



Hume, Cat. no. 4U9 ; Biddulph, Ibis, 1881, p. 03; Scully, Ibis, 



1881, p. 445 ; Seebohm, Cut. B. M. v, p. 347. 

 Ruticilla vigorsi, Moore, P.Z.S. 1854, p. 27, pi. lx; Horsf. 8f M. 



Cat. i, p. :104. 



The White-winged Redstart, Jerd. 



Coloration. Male. After the autumn moult the crown and nape 

 are white with a few ashy margins; forehead, sides of head and 

 neck, hack, scapulars, upper wing-coverts, chin, throat, and upper 

 breast deep black', a few of the feathers margined with grey; 

 wings black, the middle portion of all the quills except the terti- 

 aries white; remainder of the plumage with the tail deep chestnut. 

 Soon after the autumn, the few margins present on the black por- 

 tions of the plumage drop off, and the crown becomes pure white. 



Female. Upper plumage brown tinged with ashy ; the lower 

 portion of rump, upper tail- coverts, and tail ferruginous, the 

 middle tail- feathers and the tips of the others dusky; wings brown, 

 edged with pale fulvous ; sides of head and whole lower plumage 

 uniform fulvous-grey. The female has no seasonal change of 

 plumage. 



Bill black, vellow at gape; iris brown; legs, feet, and claws 

 black (Hum< Coll.). 



Length about 7 ; tail 3 ; wing 4*2 ; tarsus 1*05 ; bill from 



S a P e ' 7 \ 



Distribution. The Himalayas from Kashmir and Gilgitto Sikhim. 



In summer this species is found at very high altitudes, from 10,000 



to 14,000 feet or even higher. In winter it descends to 5000 feet. 



This Redstart extends on the west to the Caucasus ; on the north, 



through Turkestan and Tibet, to Lake Baikal in Southern Siberia; 



and on the cast into China. 



Habits, \e. This species, like Ghimarrhornis leucoeephalus, affects 



streams and lakes, but is more frequently seen, according to 



Blanford, on rocky hill-sides. Its nest has not yet been found 



by any naturalist. 



Genus RHYAC0RNIS, Blanford, 1872. 



The genus Khyacornis contains one species, which is closely allied 

 to both Ghimarrhornis and Ruticilla. It differs from both these, 

 however, in the shortness of its tail, which is about twice the 

 length of the tarsus, and in its strong rictal bristles. The female, 

 moreover, has no chestnut on the tail. 



The only member of this genus inhabits mountain-streams, and 

 is always found near water, especially where this forms a rapid or 

 a cascade. It has the habit of expanding its tail frequently. 



\ ox. ii. n 



