60 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS. 



season, and coming down to winter in the plains. I 

 found it common about Darjeeling, and noticed it had a 

 pretty song of its own. 



It nests from April to July, building in any sort of hole, 

 in which it makes a moss nest. The eggs are four in 

 number, and may be either plain, pinkish-white or speckled 

 with red. 



This is one of the very few Flycatchers I have ever seen 

 in captivity ; several specimens have been brought down 

 from the hills with consignments of small insectivorous 

 birds. They seem to do well enough on a diet of satoo 

 and maggots. 



The Verditer Flycatcher must not be confused with 

 another small blue Flycatcher sometimes seen, the Black- 

 naped Flycatcher {Hifpothjfmis azurea). This is of a 

 darker and purplish blue, wi^th a black spot at the back 

 of the head. 



THE THRU8HE8. 



The Thrushes form a very large family of birds, for 

 in addition to the fairly large species to which the term 

 Thrush is usually applied, the small Robins, Chats and 

 Redstarts are included in it. All these birds have a 

 strong family resemblance, but their general appearance 

 is hard to describe. They have a neat well-proportioned 

 form, with wings, tail, and legs, all of moderate length as 

 a rule ; and their bills are small and slight. The Night- 

 ingale on Plate III (Fig. 4) will give a good idea of the 

 appearance of most of them as far as shape goes. Few 

 are so plainly coloured as this bird, however, and some 



