412 BIRDS OF INDIA 



Char. Much as in Tephrodornis, but the bill more flat, depressed 



and wider at the base ; rictal bristles small ; nostrils concealed ; 

 wint^s moderate, 3rd quill almost equal to 4th ; tail narrow, gra- 

 duated ; legs and feet small. 



I formerly classed this bird among the Flycatchers, from its small 

 size and depressed bill. Taking, however, all its characters and 

 its social habits into consideration, I think that it is more appro- 

 priately placed here. 



This genus appears to grade into some of the Pericrocoti of the 

 division to which erythropygia belongs, and also perhaps into the 

 true Flycatchers. Horsfield and Gray still place it among the 

 Flycatchers. Gray gives Myiolestes of Cabanis as synonymous 

 with Cahanisia ; but Bonaparte, in his Conspectus, arranges under 

 that ffenus some of the Oceanic Napothera. 



267. Hemipus picatus, Sykes. 



Muscicapa apud Sykes, Cat. 44— Blyth, Cat. 890 and 891— 

 HoRSF., Cat. 173 — ^M. hirundinacea apud Jerdon, Cat. 155 

 — 'M. tyrannides, Tickell — M. capitalis, McLell. — H, picaecolor, 

 H odgson — Viyum-pho, Lepch. 



The Little Pied-Shrike. 



Dcscr. — Male — Above black, glossed, less so on the back and 

 scapulars, with a white nuchal collar and white rump ; band on the 

 wings white ; tail with the lateral feathers tipped with white, more 

 broadly so on the outermost feather ; beneath white, tinged with 

 reddish-ashy, purer white on the throat, -vent, and under tail- 

 coverts. 



The female differs in havhig the upper parts dull sooty-brown- 

 black. 



Bill and legs black ; irides sienna-yellow. Length 5^ inches ; 

 wing 2 j"^j ; tail 2h ; bill at front -^^ ; tarsus i 



Mr. Blyth formerly considered the bird from Southern India as 

 distinct from the Himalayan one, but noAv concurs with Horsfield 



