Birds uf North-west Fohkien. 423 



of its calls. It is a very shy bird, and keeps to the thickest 

 bamboo-iindcrgrowth in the forests. It is not found above 

 3500 feet. We heard one calling from the thick jungle on 

 the forest-covered ridge facing the village, and on our way 

 back from Kuatun we heard several singing in the woods by 

 the path. It has, I believe, a variety of calls. Those which 

 I noted down on the return journey are a slow whistle of 

 four notes, " tootoo-titi/' and another of six notes^ " tiitii- 

 tiitiititi." The hunters say that when the bird is aware of 

 danger it changes these calls to one resembling its local 

 name. 



The colours of the soft parts in this Flycatcher are as 

 follows: — Iris brown; upper mandible brown, paler at the tip, 

 or blackish ; gape, edge of upper mandible to beneath the 

 nostril, and lower mandible yellowish or orange-flesh ; legs 

 pale pink. Total length, J" 610 to 6*60, ? 6'40 inches ; 

 wing, (^ 3-10 to 3-22, ? 6-05 inches. 



The plumage differs only in the greater or lesser amount 

 of grey-brown on the breast. A few have the tertiaries 

 tipped and edged with pale fulvous, these being probably 

 young birds of the previous year. The under tail-coverts 

 are sometimes nearly pure white, sometimes strongly tinged 

 with pale fulvous. 



93. NiLTAVA suNDARA Hodgson. 



A few examples of this handsome Flycatcher have been 

 obtained by our men at Kuatun. The only place, however, 

 where they found it was in one particular spot on Mount 

 David at about 5500 feet altitude. We obtained two males 

 during our stay, particulars of which are as follows : — 



c^, 11.4.98. Iris dark brown; bill black; legs dark 

 purplish. Total length 7 inches. Testes 0*35 inch long. 

 Stomach contained small beetles and bits of transparent 

 yellow skin (caterpillar?) 



($ , 12.4.98. Total length 6*8 inches. The stomach con- 

 tained beetles and the green and black skin of some larva. 



94. NiLTAVA CYANOMELiENA (Tcmm.). 



This Flycatcher has been obtained about Kuatun by our 



